The Federal Government is preventing the delivery of about 40 fighter aircraft to the situation due to the situation after the arrest of the deducted Mayor of Constantinople, according to a report in the Handelsblatt newspaper, which quotes government sources.
The newspaper says, among other things, that the government of Tayyip Erdogan is being fiercely criticized by German government circles, which even speaks of “attacking the Turkish Republic” and, therefore, the sale of equipment systems should also be suspended. Handelsblatt even points out that in recent years the outgoing Chancellor “had personally tried to dismantle concerns about the export of the Eurofighter” and that in his individual talks with the Turkish president made significant progress. A few months ago, Mr Saltz, during his visit to Constantinople, had stated that “Turkey, as a NATO partner, is self -evident that he will receive German weapons.” But then the leader of the Turkish state “canceled these efforts with his actions against Ekrem Imamoglu,” the German economic newspaper writes.
The German decision is blocking a wider Turkish plan to purchase 40 Eurofighter 1 and 2 from Great Britain to modernize its Air Force. Eurofighter Typhoon is a common venture of Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain and its sale requires the approval of all participants. Berlin’s refusal is therefore equivalent to veto.
The federal government declined to comment on Handelsblatt’s report. “As a general rule, we do not comment on internal government discussions,” he was confined to a government spokesman.
Pressure lever for the Imamoglou case
In their program agreement, however, future government partners, the Christian Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), say: “We are in line with our weapons exports closer to our interests in foreign policy, economic policy and security policy. We want a strategic orientation arms export policy that will provide credibility to the German defense industry, international partners and customers. We support weapons exports through intergovernmental agreements. Approval of exports of equipment systems must be examined faster and in a more coordinated way. “
The SPD, however, does not want Eurofighter to export to Turkey, as opposed to the CDUs/CSU, with the most likely the next chancellor planning to use the subject as a pressure lever for the Imamoglou case.
Despite Germany’s restrictive policy to export weapons, Turkey remains one of the largest customers in the German defense industry. According to preliminary data, in 2024 the value of the weapon systems sold by Germany to Turkey reached 231 million euros. During the period between 2020 and 2024, Germany was Turkey’s third largest weapons supplier after Spain and Italy.
