British News Agency

In a joint statement, the defense ministers of the Republic of Turkey and the United Kingdom welcomed the opportunity to meet at the 17th International Defense Industry Fair held in Istanbul, reaffirmed the strength of the Turkey-United Kingdom partnership, and emphasized the importance of the long-standing defense cooperation, including cooperation carried out through NATO, and the growing ties in the defense industry and security fields.

The statement noted that both ministers committed to deepening this strategic partnership to support the alliance's collective deterrence.

"The two countries continue to make significant progress in Eurofighter Typhoon exports. Turkey's acceptance as a Typhoon user will strengthen the decades-long friendship ties among NATO's key allies and will be an important step towards enhancing Turkey's advanced combat air capabilities. This development marks the beginning of a new era in the United Kingdom-Turkey partnership aimed at strengthening capability cooperation and supporting the defense industries of both countries through mutual purchases of world-leading equipment."

The statement also reported that the defense ministers signed a joint memorandum of understanding:

"This document formalizes the relationship between the countries and brings them one step closer to a comprehensive agreement on the Typhoon. Both ministers welcome this signature as a positive step toward Turkey's inclusion in the Typhoon community and share a common goal of finalizing the necessary arrangements as soon as possible."