Türkiye’s process of modernizing its air force became a necessity following its removal from the F-35 program and the S-400 crisis. In this context, negotiations accelerated with the Eurofighter consortium, which includes the U.K., Italy and Spain. However, Germany’s long-standing veto became the most critical obstacle to Türkiye’s strategic move. This objection, justified by Berlin under the rhetoric of a “value-based foreign policy,” was associated with Türkiye’s cross-border operations, energy policies in the Mediterranean and domestic political practices. This resistance became even more pronounced during former Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government, in which the Green Party played an influential role.
After the 2025 elections, Friedrich Merz, who assumed the chancellorship in German
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