Turkey could become the newest operator of the pan-European Eurofighter Typhoon fighter. Facing delays in purchasing more United States F-16, Ankara has been negotiating the purchase of used planes with Spain and the United Kingdom. 

Talking to Reuters, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Gular confirmed the country's interest in purchasing up to 40 second-hand Typhoon fighters, divided into two batches of 20 aircraft each. The deal, however, faces denial from Germany, which also manufactures the aircraft and has veto power.

“Now the UK and Spain are making efforts to convince Germany, (although) we are not in talks with Germany”, Gular said. The position of Italy, another nation participating in the production of the Typhoon, is not yet known. 

According to the broadcaster Al Arabiya, of Saudi Arabia, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is expected to speak this weekend with Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the issue. Still, Scholz is unlikely to concede. 

A member of NATO, Turkey has faced diplomatic problems with Washington and European countries over a series of issues, from accusations of human rights violations, to controversial relations with the Islamic State and attacks on the Kurds, seen by Ankara as terrorists. More recently, Erdogan condemned Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, further stating that the country is an invader of Palestine.

The rapprochement with Russia also resulted in disagreements with the United States. For having acquired S400 anti-aircraft missiles from Moscow, Turkey was removed from the F-35 stealth fighter program, even though it had already received the first aircraft and invested in the development of the model. 

All of these factors have also prevented Turkey from purchasing more F-16 fighters from the United States, as well as modernization kits for 80 of its own planes. The purchase valued at US$20 billion is being processed in the US Congress and in a long conversation between the two countries, but Washington seems to be in no hurry on the issue. 

Thus, the need for combat aircraft only continues to increase, forcing Ankara to seek alternative solutions. As noted by the The War Zone, the Turkish Air Force is already the third largest operator of F-16s in the world, with a total of 270 of these aircraft delivered in different configurations. 

The site further points out that Turkish ratification of Swedish NATO membership is a prerequisite for approving the sale of the F-16 or any other fighter. This issue could also be used as a bargaining chip for the sale of Eurofighters. 

In the midst of all this, Turkey is also seeking more industrial independence, investing in its own stealth fighter, the TAI TF-X, and in the development of advanced weapons and drones. On the other hand, the Turks also observe Greece, a historical adversary, acquiring modern planes, such as the Rafale and the F-35, and investing in the modernization of its F-16s to the most modern standard. 

Finally, Ankara will probably have to struggle to get its much-desired fighter planes, be it the F-16 or the Typhoon.