The European Union (EU) and the US have moved to forge deeper business ties in Turkey as they vie for influence with the second-largest military in NATO.

"I personally, and the German government, see Turkey as a close partner of the European Union," Merz said alongside Erdogan. "We want to continue smoothing the way to Europe."

Europe Looks to Counter Trump's Influence with Erdogan

The visits by Starmer and Merz came about a month after US President Donald Trump hosted Erdogan. The Brookings Institution described the two leaders as sharing "a worldview about the global order" with “increasingly similar instincts."

Trump praised Erdogan for his strong leadership at home and in the Middle East. Trump refrained from any outspoken criticism about the country's elections and the arrest of a key opposition figure. He focused on US-Turkey business deals for aircraft, a nuclear power plant, and LNG supplies.

"From a European perspective, these developments delineate a striking new US-Turkey relationship," Marc Pierini, a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, wrote on October 8.

"Trump has given his blessing for a massive purchase of Boeing aircraft by Turkish Airlines, a company usually keen to strike a balance between its two suppliers, Airbus and Boeing,” Pierini said. “Trump is hoping to disconnect Turkey from Russian oil—and perhaps from Russian gas as well."

Starmer, Merz Avoid Mention of Opposition Crackdown

For Starmer and Merz, their visits tried to strengthen EU ties with Turkey and limit Trump's influence on Erdogan. Merz avoided direct mention of former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. He is considered to be Erdogan's rival in the 2028 presidential elections. Authorities jailed him in March.

"Decisions have been made in Turkey that do not yet meet the requirements regarding the rule of law and democracy as we understand them from the European point of view," Merz said. Starmer made no public mention of Imamoglu's imprisonment or the new charges.

Business Trumps Human Rights for Europe

With quarterly economic growth of 0.3% in the UK and zero growth in Germany, Starmer and Merz prioritized trade. The leaders have faced challenges from Reform UK and the Alternative for Germany.

For the UK, the deal will "sustain a 20,000-strong UK-wide workforce," Downing Street said in a press statement. Workers on production lines in Edinburgh, Warton, Samlesbury, and Bristol will the first delivery of the fighter jets by 2030.

The UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain jointly manufacture the Eurofighter Typhoon jets. The UK, led by BAE Systems [BA.L], producers about 37% of each fighter.

The deal is “a new chapter in our longstanding relationship” with Turkey, BAE Systems chief executive Charles Woodburn said. "The investment in defense can fuel significant economic growth and returns across the UK," he added.

US Uneasy Over Fighter Jets for Turkey

Erdogan's pursuit of advanced fighters has strained ties with the US. Turkey got kicked out of the US-led F-35 fighter NATO defense program in 2019. Ankara purchased the S-400 surface-to-air missile anti-aircraft defense system from Russia.

Washington barred Ankara's participation over concerns that Turkey could transfer sensitive F-35 intelligence to Moscow.

Despite Turkey's insistence on readmission into the F-35 program, Ankara hasn’t discussed giving up the S-400 system.

"Turkey's failure to secure the F-35 and F110 engines is both frustrating and self-inflicted," Sinan Ciddi, senior fellow and director of the Turkey program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), said on October 10.

Ankara has "no plan to divest from the S-400s, no pledges to address NATO concerns over Turkish adventurism in the eastern Mediterranean," Ciddi said.

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