As Turkey nears Eurofighter jet acquisition, opposition leader Lapid blasts Israeli gov’t for not protecting air superiority

Turkey is approaching a deal to purchase Eurofighter jets for its aging air force, in a move that will surely ring alarm bells in Israel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this week that Germany and Britain are sending positive signals regarding the deal for which the Turkish government has intensely lobbied for years.

“The British and Germans are approaching this positively. God willing, I believe we will receive our jet planes as soon as possible,” Erdogan told reporters.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a fourth-generation fighter jet jointly produced by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain. All four countries have to sign off on the deal, which so far has been opposed by Germany and the UK.

The report drew strong criticism of Israel’s Foreign Ministry by opposition leader Yair Lapid. Israel has been increasingly worried by Turkey’s hostile rhetoric and its attempts to build up its military forces over the past years.

The @eurofighter Typhoon will form the backbone of air defence in to the 2060s and our teams are constantly pushing its capability forward.

Find out more about Typhoon's latest digital leap: https://t.co/5GeuN3AB8y pic.twitter.com/eBrTSOpIJC

— BAE Systems Air (@BAESystemsAir) July 7, 2025

“If Israel had a functioning foreign ministry, or a normal government, it would have long ago prevented the emerging deal for the sale of ‘Eurofighter Typhoon 4.5’ aircraft to Turkey by Germany and the UK,” Lapid wrote on 𝕏.

“Turkey already has the largest and most powerful naval fleet in the Middle East, and now it has set its sights on achieving air parity with Israel. This is dangerous, and our dysfunctional government has allowed this deal to move forward without doing anything about it,” he wrote.

Since the fall of the Assad regime, the Turkish and Israeli air forces have both been operating in Syria’s skies. In April, the countries agreed on a deconfliction mechanism to prevent miscommunications from turning into clashes.

The Wall Street Journal reported that a preliminary deal for an order valued at around $5.6 billion for up to 40 Typhoons could be announced as early as this week.

Despite being a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Turkey has faced German opposition to the sale of the fighter jets amid various concerns over Erdogan’s foreign policy.

However, the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is seen as a friend of Israel, signaled that a positive decision could be taken soon.

The WSJ also reported that the UK and Turkey could announce a principle of agreement at the International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul, which started on Tuesday.

Several other countries are currently in negotiations to purchase Typhoons, including Austria and Qatar.

Saudi Arabia, which has also expressed interest in the fighter jet in the past, is currently focusing its efforts on receiving the American F-35, according to the WSJ.

Turkey has also been trying to purchase F-35s for years. A sale had already been approved before the first Trump administration suspended and banned Turkey from the Joint Strike Fighter program, through which the F-35 Lightning II is developed and sold.

In April, Fox News reported that President Donald Trump was considering lifting the ban on the sale after talking with President Erdoğan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly also brought up the issue and tried to convince the Trump administration not to lift the sanctions.