At a time when Greece is steadily strengthening its deterrent capabilities through the acquisition of Rafale fighters and its inclusion in the F-35 program, Turkey is desperately seeking solutions to upgrade its Air Force. In this context, it is proceeding with the purchase of 12 used C-130J transport aircraft from the United Kingdom, while simultaneously pursuing enhanced defense cooperation with London – both regarding Eurofighters and in the field of European defense programs.
Ankara already operates approximately 10 A400M heavy military transport aircraft of European manufacture, 40 CN-235 CASA tactical medium-range transport aircraft of Spanish origin, as well as 20 older C-130s. However, the C-130J-30 variant offers increased payload capacity, greater range, and improved performance, substantially enhancing the operational flexibility of the Turkish Air Force. With its extended fuselage, cruising speed of 645 km/h, and capability to transport up to 20 tons at 26,000 feet altitude, this new acquisition is expected to significantly boost Turkey’s operational capabilities from the Balkans to the Caucasus and Eastern Mediterranean, while also increasing interoperability with NATO.
Eurofighters remain Turkey’s primary objective
The main objective for Ankara remains achieving an agreement for the procurement of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, which are manufactured by a consortium of European states – Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. Berlin has already officially announced that it accepted a preliminary request for negotiations with Turkey, while shortly before his arrival in Ankara yesterday, German Foreign Minister Jochen Wantefuhl confirmed this intention, emphasizing that Germany and Turkey are called upon to strengthen NATO’s defense capabilities in Europe. “We decided that Turkey can increase its deterrent power with the help of Eurofighter aircraft as an ally, because this is in our interest” he stressed.
Such an agreement, beyond its strategic dimension, would constitute a significant success for the European defense industry, as Ankara has until now procured fighter aircraft exclusively from the US. The entry of European aircraft into the Turkish fleet would boost the consortium’s revenues and strengthen a sector where Europe lags behind Washington.
Pressure from Athens to stop Eurofighter sale
It should be noted that Athens had attempted, at a diplomatic level, to prevent the sale of Eurofighter Typhoons to Turkey, highlighting its strong opposition to the potential transfer of advanced Meteor air-to-air missiles that would accompany the package. However, Berlin – at a time when the German economy is urgently seeking outlets – reportedly ruled out any discussion. The issue was to be raised again by Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis during his ultimately postponed meeting with Jochen Wantefuhl in Athens, where Greece’s categorical disagreement with Turkey’s participation in the European financing instrument SAFE would also be discussed, as long as the casus belli and Turkish challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean remain in effect.
