Turkey is also interested in purchasing new Typhoons from the United Kingdom—but those must be built first, whereas the used Qatari ones could be put into service almost immediately.

NATO member Turkey has sought to significantly bolster its air force by acquiring the American-made F-35 Lightning II or F-16 Fighting Falcon. Last year, Ankara also looked to close a deal to buy upwards of 40 Eurofighter Typhoons, but Germany had objected to the latter deal over concerns that the multirole jets could be used against Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq.

In October 2024, Berlin removed its long-standing objections, and in July of this year, Germany and the UK signed a preliminary agreement with Turkey for the Typhoons. However, that deal has stalled over the final cost; as a result, Ankara is expected to seek additional “second-hand” Eurofighters from Qatar as a stopgap measure.

Turkey Wants Fighter Jets—and Doesn’t Care Where It Gets Them

The UK-based Middle East Eye first reported that Turkey has also grown impatient in trying to finalize the procurement of new F-16 Block 70 fighters from the United States.

According to the reports, Turkish officials traveled to Doha to meet with their Qatari counterparts earlier this month to discuss the terms of the deal, which could see Ankara purchase upwards of two dozen Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A models. Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and the commander of the Turkish Air Force, General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, were among the members of the Turkish delegation, which met with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saud Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The two sides appeared close to a deal.

However, the transfer would still need outside approval from the Eurofighter consortium, including Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain. Even though the deal for new fighters has stalled, the consortium would likely still be open to the Turkey-Qatar transfer, as Ankara would likely seek future Tranche 4 upgrades for the Qatari Tranche 3A models. 

Qatar first acquired the 40 Eurofighter aircraft, then brand-new, in 2017.

Turkey could still reach an agreement with the United Kingdom for its newer Typhoons. However, these would still need to be built and would likely take years to arrive, while the second-hand fighters could be operational much sooner.

Turkey Is Still Interested in the F-35, Too

Beyond the new Block 70 Fighting Falcons, Turkey has sought to modernize its current F-16 fleet and return to the F-35 program—from which it was infamously expelled in 2019 after it went forward with a controversial acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 Triumf air-defense system against the Trump administration’s warnings.

Washington and NATO leaders have continually maintained that the S-400 and F-35 are not compatible, and Turkey’s adoption of the anti-aircraft missile platform while operating the F-35 would compromise the security and stealth capabilities of the fifth-generation fighter.

Trump, who met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington last month, hinted that a deal could be reached to see Ankara rejoin the F-35 program. However, Turkey has rejected past plans that would require it to transfer the S-400 to another nation, or have it maintained by the US military.