Following multiple discussions and mutual meetings between officials of the military file in Turkey and Britain – which have continued for more than two years – an agreement was eventually signed recently, aiming to increase the volume of cooperation in security and defense relations between the two countries.
The agreement includes London’s approval to sell Ankara forty Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, which it contributes to producing in partnership with Spain, Italy, and Germany.
This agreement – which was supported by Spain and Italy – is rejected by Germany for reasons related to its view of the human rights file in Turkey and its military interventions in northern Syria.
Spain and Britain pledged to work to persuade Germany to change its position and agree to implement this deal. Because of the importance it represents for NATO and its members in light of the difficult circumstances that the world is going through today, especially since Turkey’s geopolitical position makes it dominate the gateway to the Black Sea.
This has so far contributed to obstructing the passage of Russian warships and to the export of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain, which saved the world from a famine that was likely to occur in many of its countries if the export of Ukrainian grain stopped as a result of the ongoing war between it and Russia.
Providing the Turkish Air Force with this type of European military aircraft in particular will undoubtedly increase Turkey’s defense capabilities.
It will also fill the gap in its air fleet of fifth generation fighters. In light of the US Congress’ continued refusal to complete the deal to sell forty F-16 aircraft as compensation for their exclusion from the process of manufacturing and producing F-35 aircraft, and its insistence on linking this deal to Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s membership in NATO.
Sweden membership
This approval is still at a standstill, especially after the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Turkish Parliament decided to postpone the vote on Sweden’s request, attributing this postponement to the need for all members of Parliament to be fully convinced and approved, which did not happen as a result of the lack of a written and announced road map to combat terrorism. By the Government of Sweden.
The position of the Turkish Parliament was consistent with previous statements made by President Erdogan, in which he affirmed that he would not tolerate countries that allow the sanctities of Muslims to be violated, in reference to Sweden and Denmark agreeing to burn copies of the Holy Quran.
Adding that he personally does not expect the Turkish Parliament to approve Sweden’s request, in light of the continued permission for members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party to protest and demonstrate in the streets of Stockholm, calling on Sweden to adjust its laws and make the necessary amendments to them to end this chaos in its streets.
Turkish advice to the American administration
Turkey’s adherence to the British Eurofighter Typhoon deal, and its insistence on completing it, indicates two things: First: its loss of hope in the possibility of completing the F-16 deal in its favor, at least in the near future, after it was tied to conditions that Ankara sees as unacceptable interference in its sovereign decisions. .
The second: a practical response on its part to the American position against its interests, and Washington’s attempts to pressure it, and to trade its urgent military interests for its political positions, which is considered an unacceptable violation of the independence of its decision, its national sovereignty, and its vision for its national security.
Completing the Eurofighter deal is, in fact, a message to the American administration. That there are other alternatives available to Turkey, and that refraining from implementing the F-16 deal – in addition to the fact that it will not serve the interests of either country – will increase the amount of damage to their overall strategic relations.
This means a decline in American influence in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean in favor of Russia and its allies, and that seeking to undermine Turkey’s development of its military arsenal and impose sanctions on its military industry will not deter it from developing its capabilities, diversifying its sources of armament, and increasing the size of its military partnerships. To preserve its interests and national security.
Direct warning to Greece and Cyprus
It is also a direct and clear message to its neighbors: Greece and southern Cyprus, that it is determined to maintain its military superiority over them, and to develop its capabilities in confronting their arsenal, regardless of the size of American support for both of them, as the two countries enjoy unprecedented American military support, as they have been provided with a huge number of weapons. And newly manufactured American ammunition, most notably the F-35 aircraft, from which Ankara was excluded, in addition to the transfer of many fighters in the American forces, the establishment of a large number of American military bases on their lands, and the placement of part of its naval fleet in their ports, which is what Ankara considered it an attempt by Washington to replace them with it, and to increase their combat capabilities in exchange for reducing its military capabilities.
Eliminate the concern of the arms race
Therefore, there is no doubt that this type of combat aircraft will ensure Turkey’s continued superiority of its air forces in the region, which is rife with many political tensions and ideological differences.
Especially those related to the European-American rejection of its movements in the Eastern Mediterranean, its efforts to explore for energy, and the pressure it is exposed to from its regional and international opponents to hinder its interests and limit its influence in regions that it has always considered a natural extension of its history, and a strategic dimension for preserving its national security.
In addition to removing its concern resulting from the expansion of the air defense capabilities of a number of countries in the region that are most influential in their political paths, such as: Egypt, some Gulf states, and Israel, which is a growing trend, as various types of weapons worth billions of dollars flow in, with support from France. The United States, and a number of European countries.
In addition, increasing the volume of cooperation – in the field of defense industries between London and Ankara – would modify the course of the latter’s ambitions to develop the manufacture of its local fighter engines in cooperation with Ukrainian companies. As a result of the continuation of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Turkey is currently planning to replace Britain with Ukraine, through its desire to expand the scope of cooperation between its defense industry companies and their British counterparts. To develop its locally manufactured aircraft engines, and benefit from British expertise in this field.
Economic and political gains
As for the political and economic gains – which Ankara seeks to achieve from completing this deal, especially in light of its economic crisis – they are raising the level of its trade relations with Britain, which is the second most important trading partner on the European level immediately after Germany, and the seventh trading partner in the world, with investments. Its value amounted to 19 billion dollars.
The contribution of 3,200 British companies is about $13.5 billion, out of more than $250 billion in direct international investments within Turkey over the past twenty years, in the fields of: communications, technology, manufacturing, and energy.
Hence, it becomes clear how important Ankara attaches to the success of Britain and Spain in convincing Germany to complete this aircraft deal, in order to move forward in reaping the huge gains that could result from it, which increases the strength of its influence at the regional and international levels, and gives it the ability to confront the challenges and obstacles that stand. On the way to achieving its political, strategic and security goals.