ANKARA, TÜRKİYE - OCT. 27, 2025: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer inspected Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets during his official visit to Ankara on Monday, Oct. 27, as the two countries explore deeper defense and security cooperation.

Starmer was accompanied by UK Defense Secretary John Healey and Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth, the head of the Royal Air Force.

Starmer is paying an official visit to Ankara at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Starmer is expected to brief President Erdogan on the latest developments regarding ongoing talks between Türkiye and the UK over the procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.

The Turkish Air Force will become much stronger with the procurement of Eurofighter jets, Erdogan earlier said, stressing the importance of purchasing the Europe-made fighter jets.

Eurofighter Typhoon jets are currently used by five European countries—the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Austria—and four Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar.

On July 23, Türkiye and the UK signed a memorandum of understanding allowing Ankara to operate Eurofighter Typhoon fighter planes. The agreement came after Germany’s Security Council approved the sale of 40 Eurofighter jets.