Germany has granted an export licence for 40 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to NATO ally Turkey, according to government officials cited by Spiegel. The decision by the Federal Security Council reverses the stance of the previous Berlin coalition and follows months of lobbying by Ankara and consortium partners Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. On the sidelines of the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and UK Defence Secretary John Healey signed a memorandum of understanding that allows Ankara to operate the jets, a step Britain said would be followed by detailed contract negotiations. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the eventual sale would sustain about 20,000 jobs at BAE Systems’ final-assembly line in northern England. Turkey requested the aircraft in 2023 to renew its ageing fleet after its removal from the US-led F-35 programme. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government framed the export approval as a move to strengthen NATO’s southern flank and deepen industrial ties with Ankara. All four Eurofighter partner nations—Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain—must sign off on deliveries; approvals from Rome and Madrid are not expected to be contentious. Beyond the Eurofighter order, Ankara remains in talks with Washington over the separate purchase of 40 F-16 fighters. Turkish officials said the twin-track approach is aimed at bolstering air defences amid heightened regional tensions.