ISTANBUL, Oct 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was due in 
Doha late Tuesday as Ankara seeks to acquire some of Qatar's used Eurofighter 
Typhoon jets, a Turkish security source told AFP.

The Turkish leader, who is flying in from Kuwait, is expected to meet Qatar's 
emir on Wednesday.

"Turkey has been trying to negotiate to acquire some of Qatar's used 
Eurofighters," the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity 
because they were not permitted to speak to journalists.

"In exchange, Turkey has offered access to its new-generation fighter jet, 
the Kaan, as part of a potential technology transfer arrangement."

So far "no concrete progress" had been made with the negotiations still 
ongoing, the source said.

Turkey wants to modernise its air force and has in recent years sought to buy 
40 new Eurofighter Typhoons built by a four-nation consortium of Germany, 
Britain, Spain and Italy.

The move came after Washington booted Ankara out of its F-35 fighter 
programme in 2019 over Turkey's purchase of an S-400 Russian surface-to-air 
missile defence system.

The purchase had raised fears it would give NATO's main adversary a window 
into Western jet operations.

Some defence observers see Turkey's push to acquire the Eurofighters as a 
strategic bluff aimed at putting pressure on Washington to readmit Ankara to 
its fighter jet programme -- its principle concern.

"For Turkey, the main priority remains the F-16 and F-35 programmes," the 
Turkish source said.

In May, Erdogan expressed confidence that the sanctions would quickly be 
ended, and his meeting last month with President Donald Trump further 
cemented those hopes.

In June, Washington's Turkey Ambassador Tom Barrack in June said US sanctions 
were likely to be over by the year's end.

But the Turkish source said it was likely to take a bit longer.

"Due to the current political gridlock in the US Congress, progress on these 
deals is unlikely before the new year."

In 2017, Qatar placed an order for 24 Eurofighter jets, and in December, Doha 
reportedly said it was looking to acquire another 12 more, according to 
several defence news outlets.