Trump Administration Plans Jet Engine Sale to Turkey

President Donald Trump’s administration has formally notified Congress of its intention to sell dozens of General Electric jet engines worth more than $700m to Turkey.

The engines are intended to power KAAN, Turkey’s first domestically produced combat jet.

The White House plans to proceed with the deal despite objections from some lawmakers over Ankara’s possession of Russian S-400 defense systems, acquired in 2019. For Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the sale is an important gesture from Washington ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara next month.

Asked about the engines and the F-35 program, Trump said: “I’m going to probably do something that will make them very happy.”

The State Department said it was prepared to license the export after taking political, military, economic, human rights and arms control considerations into account. Congress now has 15 days to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval.

Turkey’s purchase of Russian weapons soured ties with the US, led to sanctions and resulted in Ankara’s removal from the F-35 fighter jet program.

Several Democratic lawmakers have already signaled strong opposition to the engine sale and warned against any future delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Erdogan’s government.

(Reuters, Max)