The Trump administration appears to be making a major strategic move, pushing forward with the sale of dozens of aircraft engines to Turkey, with the deal’s value estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. According to sources cited by Reuters, the total value of the agreement is expected to exceed $700 million — a development that has already sparked pushback in the US Congress.
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Trump gives the green light for engine sale to power Turkey’s Kaan fighter jet
The engines, manufactured by General Electric, are destined for the “Kaan” — Turkey’s first domestically developed fighter aircraft. The program, which launched in 2016, is a cornerstone of Ankara’s efforts to strengthen its defense self-sufficiency. Against the backdrop of recent geopolitical tensions, the sale represents a significant political signal from Washington aimed at reinforcing ties with Turkey, just weeks ahead of the NATO summit on July 7–8.
US-Turkey relations, however, have been far from smooth — even under former President Trump’s generally warm stance toward Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey’s decision to acquire Russia’s S-400 missile systems and its subsequent exclusion from the F-35 program have cast a long shadow over the bilateral relationship. Washington views the Russian systems as a threat to allied security, a position that led to the imposition of sanctions. The timing of this deal is particularly noteworthy. It comes shortly after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan publicly voiced frustration over delays in the approval process roughly a year ago. With this sale now moving forward, both sides appear to be attempting a reset of their relationship — though the durability of that effort remains to be seen.
Congressional opposition
Meanwhile, Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had raised objections during the informal review process and had not signed off on the package, according to two sources. Despite those objections, the sale is expected to be finalized in the coming days, after which the State Department will formally notify Congress, the sources added. The State Department declined to comment, Reuters notes.
