International demand for old fighter planes of Qatar’s Air Force has suddenly increased. While India has shown interest in Qatar’s Mirage 2000 jets, Turkey has expressed its desire to buy its Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. Interestingly, relations between India and Turkey have been strained in recent years, yet both are showing interest in purchasing used jets from the same country.

According to a Eurasian Times report, Middle East Eye claimed on October 7 that Turkey is discussing a deal with Qatar to buy second-hand Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Negotiations are still going on and it is expected that this deal can be finalized soon. However, the governments of both the countries have not said anything officially on this.

Turkey eyes Eurofighter Typhoon

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Gular and Air Force Commander General Zia Cemal Kadioglu recently visited Doha. It is believed that the purpose of this visit was to discuss the deal for 10 to 15 Tranche 3A Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from Qatar. Qatar currently operates 24 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A jets and has also ordered 12 additional Tranche 4 jets. Apart from this, Qatar’s Air Force also has modern aircraft like F-15QA and French Rafale.

Turkey needs the deal because its American F-16 fighter jet fleet is now aging and it has been phased out of the F-35 program. Its own KAAN stealth fighter is still in the early stages of development. Therefore, these jets received from Qatar can prove to be a big relief for the Turkish Air Force.

How are the relations between Turkey and Qatar?

Turkey and Qatar have long had strong strategic relations. Military and economic partnership between the two countries has increased since the beginning of the 2010s. A Turkish military base is located in the Tarkiya area of ​​Qatar, where about 3,000 soldiers are deployed. Qatar has also purchased drones and armored vehicles from Turkey. Both countries are also allies of each other in defense production. Due to this strategic partnership, Qatar is openly negotiating with Turkey for the sale of its old aircraft.

India also wants Qatar’s Mirage 2000 jets

The Indian Air Force has been in talks with Qatar since June last year for the purchase of 12 second-hand Mirage 2000 fighter jets. These aircraft include 9 single seat Mirage 2000-5EDA and 3 twin seat Mirage 2000-5DDA. These aircraft were delivered to Qatar in the mid-1990s and were used very limitedly, so the condition of their airframes is considered to be good. According to an ANI report, Qatar has offered this jet to India at an estimated cost of around Rs 5000 crore (about 600 million dollars). However, India wants to buy them at a lower price than this.

Why are these aircraft important for India?

Mirage-2000 aircraft have long been considered the backbone of the Indian Air Force. Their headquarters is at Gwalior Airbase. These French-made aircraft joined the Indian Air Force in 1985 and since then have proved their reliability in many missions. India currently has about 45 to 50 Mirage-2000 aircraft. If the deal is made with Qatar, this number will exceed 60, which will further increase the strength of the fleet. Mirage aircraft also played an important role in historical operations like Balakot airstrike, which has further increased their usefulness and importance.

Strategic competition between India and Turkey

The effort of both India and Turkey to buy jets from the same country is also interesting from geopolitical point of view. While Pakistan is known for its military aid and anti-India rhetoric, India has in recent years strengthened ties with anti-Turkish countries such as Greece, Armenia and Cyprus.

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The impact of the increasing tension between India and Pakistan is now visible at the international level as well and has suffered a big shock to Turk’s tourism and aviation sector. Especially in the shares of Turkish Airlines, there has been a decline of more than 10 percent in the last one month.

What is the whole matter?

In fact, India recently took action on terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) under ‘Operation Sindoor’. After this operation, the Turki openly supported Pakistan, which spread resentment among the Indian people.

This resentment had the most direct impact on Indian tourists going to Turki. According to Makmytrip, flight bookings for Turki have declined by 60 per cent in just one week and cancellations have increased by 250 per cent.

How big is the picture of loss?

Speaking to The Mint, Easemytrip chairman Nishant Pitti said that in 2023, about 2.87 lakh Indian tourists went to Turkas, which is 25 per cent higher than in 2022. Every Indian tourist spends an average of 1 lakh to 1.3 lakh rupees in the Turks. In total, in 2023, Indian tourists spent around Rs 3,000 crore in Turkas. Now that a large number of flights are canceling and new bookings are also stopping, the Turkes will hardly get this amount in the next few months.

Why did the shares of Turkish Airlines fall?

The shares of Turkish Airlines have fallen from 312.75 lira to 279.75 lira, ie about 10.5 per cent decline. Experts say that due to cancellation of Indian tourists flights and new bookings stalled, investors have started feeling that revenue may fall in the company’s upcoming quarters.

The political stand of Turki has not only affected its diplomacy, but is also clearly visible on its economy and stock market. It is also a strong message for India’s tourists that their decision can directly affect international companies.

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