Germany on Thursday dismissed claims that the government had blocked the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Türkiye over domestic political developments.
A report by German financial daily Handelsblatt earlier this week claimed the outgoing coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz vetoed the sale in response to the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.
Imamoğlu, from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), was arrested in late March on corruption charges.
Economic Affairs and Climate Action Ministry spokesperson Tim-Niklas Wentzel said the acting government has not made any decisions regarding the sale of Eurofighters to Türkiye.
The Economic Affairs and Energy and Climate Action Ministry is responsible for Germany's arms exports.
Wentzel said any major decisions on the matter would be taken by the new government, which is set to take office next month and be led by chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz.
"Regarding major arms export control issues, the current caretaker government will not make any decisions that would preempt those of the incoming government," he told Anadolu Agency (AA).
"We generally do not comment on internal government consultations," he said, referring to discussions among coalition partners.
Following an agreement between Merz's Christian Democrats and the center-left Social Democrats after the Feb. 23 elections, the coalition deal now awaits approval from party organs and members.
If approved, the German parliament could elect Merz as chancellor as early as May 6.
The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by companies Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Türkiye has been in negotiations to acquire up to 40 Eurofighters to enhance its air force. Germany initially opposed the deal before taking a step toward clearing it a few months ago.
Türkiye, despite boasting NATO's second-largest army, has often in the past faced arms embargoes. That pushed it to significantly boost domestic capabilities and curb foreign dependence over the last two decades.
Today, it produces a wide range of vehicles and arms types domestically, including its own drones, missiles and naval vessels. It's also developing its own fifth-generation fighter jet, named Kaan.
Kaan is sought to replace the Air Forces Command's aging F-16 fleet, which is planned to be phased out starting in the 2030s. Its mass production is expected to start in 2028.
