ANKARA, TÜRKİYE - OCT. 27, 2025: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet cooperation agreement in Ankara on Monday, marking a new milestone in bilateral defense relations. President Erdogan described the agreement as a "new sign of Türkiye-UK strategic relations," asserting that it will pave the way for joint defense projects. “I thank Prime Minister Starmer and his team for the work carried out by the UK within the Eurofighter Consortium throughout the process. I also express my appreciation to the leaders of other allied countries in the consortium for their constructive approach,” he added. Speaking at a joint news conference, Starmer said: “This will bolster security across NATO, deepen our bilateral defense cooperation, and boost economic growth here and in the United Kingdom, securing 20,000 British jobs, building these state-of-the-art fighter jets.” Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler said Türkiye is planning to acquire Eurofighter Typhoons from several countries, including 20 from the UK and 12 each from Qatar and Oman. Guler spoke to reporters following the meeting between Erdogan and Starmer, adding that the jets from Qatar could potentially arrive early next year. -Bilateral relations Two leaders also announced the launch of the first-ever UK-Türkiye bilateral cooperation framework. Starmer called it “a landmark moment reflecting the increasing depth and breadth of our existing cooperation and our ambition to go further.” President Erdogan said: “We are committed to increasing our trade volume with the United Kingdom, initially to $30 billion and eventually to $40 billion. We are determined to strengthen our economic ties.” He added that Türkiye is taking steps to update its free trade agreement with the UK and is exploring opportunities for joint investments in third countries. He stated that Ankara aims to establish new partnerships in the energy and defense sectors and welcomed that many UK citizens consider Türkiye their second home. The Turkish president said negotiations have also begun on a bilateral cooperation framework to fully leverage this potential. Earlier, Starmer was welcomed with an official ceremony and co-chaired an inter-delegation meeting with Erdogan. He visited Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) for a briefing on Türkiye's domestically produced fighter jet KAAN and inspected the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft involved in the deal.