Germany approved technical discussions on the possible sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey, a Middle East Eye report quoted sources close to the matter as saying, amid a shift of course in this context. Germany had previously blocked sales to Turkey because it was claimed Ankara would use them in attacks against Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq.

It is a four-nation consortium that produces Eurofighter Typhoon, comprising Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK. While Spain, Italy, and the UK have been backers, Germany hasn’t. Turkey will buy up to 40 of these jets, a deal worth $5.6 billion.

One source said the German Federal Security Council recently met behind closed doors and decided to allow the Eurofighter consortium to pass on the plane’s technical specs to Turkey so that consultations regarding capabilities in procurement stages, training, spare parts, and maintenance protocols would be carried out. A second source added that while the technical agreement is set in motion, it does not mean the deal is sealed.

Germany’s U-turn comes ahead of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. The German government also said that Scholz will visit Ankara on October 19. Several reports indicate that part of the reason for the decision may be some of Germany’s desires to secure a deal that would accelerate the repatriation process of about 15,000 Turkish citizens who were pronounced asylum seekers but failed in their case with Germany.

Airbus, one of the majors in the Eurofighter consortium, was optimistic about the deal. The Turkish chief at Airbus, Simon Ward, said that Airbus was working hard to overcome the political challenges surrounding the issue and that the Eurofighter jets could arrive sooner than expected.

However, a European official quoted last week said that Germany can still veto the deal later despite allowing talks to advance. Turkey’s defense ministry still hopes the entire process will move positively and could be concluded this way. The first phase will see 24 Eurofighter jets reach Turkey, while the remaining 16 aircraft will arrive in the later stages of the sale.

The decision by Germany to withdraw its sale will come into focus against the increasing regional tensions significantly heightened by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, as well as a renewed Gaza war.

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