BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled Thursday that progress is being made toward a potential sale of Eurofighter jets to NATO ally Türkiye.​​​​​​​

Speaking at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Merz emphasized that the UK-Germany "friendship treaty" that was signed Thursday will strengthen defense ties and enhance cooperation in the defense industry.

When asked if the treaty would facilitate the export of jointly produced defense products like Eurofighter jets and whether Berlin would approve the potential sale to Türkiye, Merz indicated progress.

“We also discussed the issue of export licenses. There hasn't been a final decision yet, but we're on the way to a good decision that could also make a corresponding export license possible,” Merz told reporters. “As to which specific countries this will apply to, you'll have to forgive me, but I cannot say that at this moment.”

Türkiye, which maintains NATO's second-largest military force, plans to acquire 40 Eurofighter jets -- aircraft jointly manufactured by the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain. While the UK has been eager to proceed with the sale and all manufacturing partners except Germany have supported it, the deal has remained stalled for months. The previous German coalition government had expressed reservations about the sale, primarily due to opposition from its coalition partner, the Greens.

Starmer pointed out that following the signing of the friendship and cooperation treaty, both countries will pursue joint export campaigns for their co-produced military equipment.

“On the question of exports, we discussed this today at some length, and we intend to have export campaigns more jointly together, coordinated together. That is a good thing for both of our countries, and it's a good thing for Europe,” said Starmer.

“We have not only discussed that, but also begun to take the steps to make sure that this is much more coordinated, much more joined up, and much more cooperative. And again, all of this is further evidence of the closeness of the relationship as it now is, between Germany and the UK,” he added.

The agreement Thursday is considered the most significant treaty between the two countries since 1945. It establishes deeper cooperation on foreign policy and defense issues, and includes a mutual assistance clause in case of military attack.

The 23-page agreement creates a framework for closer defense industry cooperation, supporting initiatives to enhance military interoperability, interchangeability and integration.

Both governments also committed to facilitating the export of jointly produced defense products, acknowledging "the importance of having a reliable agenda" for transferring defense-related products from intergovernmental programs or those developed by their industries.