Germany’s outgoing government is said to have blocked a British proposal to sell dozens of Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets to Turkey after the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, potentially creating significant tensions between London and Berlin.
Britain is understood to have been finalising a deal for about 40 of the jets after John Healey, the defence secretary, visited his counterpart in Ankara.
British officials argue that Turkey is regarded not only as an increasingly indispensable Nato ally but also as an important market for the aircraft, which sustains about 20,000 jobs in Britain but is manufactured with partners in Germany, Italy and Spain.
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They are also determined to keep up production and exports
