German Chancellor Merz speaks on Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft exports to Turkey: We are moving toward a good decision

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. Following the meeting, the two leaders held a joint press conference.

Starmer stated that during the meeting, they discussed UK-Germany relations, which will enter a new era with the agreement signed today, the Russia-Ukraine War, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Addressing the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Starmer said, "We talked about the terrible situation in Gaza. We are working together for a ceasefire, and at the same time, we are striving for the immediate release of hostages and for humanitarian aid to be delivered quickly and carefully."

"THE FIRST STEP IS TO GET PUTIN TO THE CEASEFIRE TABLE"

Stating that they are working with allies to increase military support for Ukraine in the war with Russia, Starmer said, "The first step is to get Putin to the table for an unconditional ceasefire. We must provide Ukraine with its military needs so it can negotiate from a position of strength. We now need to work for a lasting solution, and the real question is what we need to ensure that peace is maintained and the ceasefire is permanent. We will continue to move forward on this path together with the US and other allies because our security ultimately begins in Ukraine."

"THE US IS READY TO PROVIDE WEAPONS TO UKRAINE"

Recalling US President Donald Trump's decision to supply weapons to Ukraine, Merz said, "The US is ready to provide weapons to Ukraine in a way that will be financed by European partners. Germany wants to make a significant contribution to this. This will increase the pressure on Putin to begin peace negotiations and will ultimately contribute to him negotiating peace. It will also show that Europe and the US are on the same page regarding security policy."

Reporting that the defense ministers of the relevant countries are in talks regarding the delivery of military equipment, including air defense systems to be provided to Ukraine, to Kyiv, Merz said, "They are discussing the details. These also need to be transported. They also need to be installed. This is not a matter of a few hours. This is a matter of days, perhaps weeks, but the negotiations are very concrete and the American side is ready to do this."

"WE ARE MOVING TOWARD A GOOD DECISION THAT WILL ENABLE AN EXPORT LICENSE"

In response to a journalist's question, "Did you discuss the export of Eurofighter Typhoons with Starmer? Are you prepared to deliver them to Turkey?" Merz said, "We have not yet made a decision on export permits, but we are moving toward a good decision that will enable or provide for such an export license. We will wait and see, but I will not make a statement regarding which countries we are considering in this regard."

News Source: İHA