The Trump administration is preparing to advance a major arms deal with Ankara that would sell Turkey dozens of jet engines worth more than $700 million, according to people familiar with the talks cited by Reuters. The move is expected to be finalized in the coming days and is seen as a significant signal to Turkey ahead of a NATO summit on July 7 in Turkey.
The package is intended to improve bilateral ties and give Ankara a diplomatic win, even though members of Congress have objected strongly. Lawmakers remain wary because of the long-running strain in U.S.-Turkey relations after Ankara bought Russia’s S-400 air defense system, which previously led Washington to remove Turkey from the F-35 program and impose sanctions.
The engines, made by General Electric, are for Turkey’s KAAN fighter jet, Ankara’s flagship project to build an independent combat aircraft and reduce reliance on Western security ties. One source said the deal being assembled includes 80 F110-GE-129 engines.
Those engines are expected to power the first KAAN aircraft until a domestically produced engine is ready. Security officials say that despite the program’s progress, it will still take years before the new Turkish jet can replace the U.S.-made F-16s that currently form the backbone of the Turkish air force.
