ANKARA - Turkiye signed a deal on Monday to buy 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from Britain for 8 billion pounds (10.64 billion US dollars), as Ankara seeks to bolster its defense capabilities amid a turbulent regional landscape.

Following the signing ceremony of the 10-year deal in Ankara, attended by visiting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the agreement as "a new symbol of the strategic relations between our two close allies" and said it "will also open the door to joint projects in the defense industry".

Starmer, for his part, said the two countries were taking a step toward "a strengthened strategic partnership".

With the first step of this cooperation between the two countries, Britain will supply Turkiye with 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, with the option to provide more in the future, he said.

This marks Starmer's first visit to Turkiye since taking office as British prime minister in July 2024. During the trip, the two leaders held one-on-one talks at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, followed by inter-delegation meetings.

Earlier in the day, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told reporters that the country plans to purchase a total of 44 Eurofighter Typhoon jets -- 12 from Qatar, 12 from Oman, and 20 from Britain -- with deliveries expected to begin early next year.