Turkey eyes F110 fighter jet engines as Trump comes to town
Analysts said approval could free up about 40 engines for Turkey’s KAAN stealth fighter, but the F-35 dispute and sanctions remain unresolved.
- President Donald Trump visits Ankara on July 7-8 for a NATO summit hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where he may approve the export of F110 fighter jet engines for Turkey's KAAN stealth program.
- Following Turkey's 2017 acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, Washington expelled Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 and imposed CAATSA sanctions, hampering defense ties.
- Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based Edam think tank, told AFP that about 40 F110 engines could receive a 'green light' during the summit, helping Turkey increase KAAN prototypes.
- Congressional action on CAATSA is necessary to resolve the F-35 dispute, though Matthew Bryza, retired US envoy and former senior White House and State Department official, warned it could be 'politically costly in the lead up to the midterm elections.'
- Indonesia has already signed a $10bn contract for 48 fighters, suggesting the NATO summit could generate further international interest in the Turkish stealth program, even though KAAN deliveries remain years away.
25 Articles
25 Articles
US President Trump is arriving in Ankara today. Contrary to diplomatic protocol, a visit to Anıtkabir (the Atatürk Mausoleum) is not on Trump's schedule. Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan this afternoon. The KAAN engines will be discussed during this meeting. A press conference is also planned after the meeting.
House Democrats introduce legislation to block sale of jet engines to Turkey
A group of House Democrats introduced a resolution last week that aims to block the sale of advanced jet engines to Turkey, as the Trump administration pushes ahead with the sale despite legal restrictions on U.S. military sales to the country. The resolution is led by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), a vocal critic of Ankara, and co-sponsored by Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jim Costa (D-C…
The Express Tribune
Turkiye eyes F110 fighter jet engines as Trump comes to town
US President Donald Trump's visit to Ankara for the NATO summit could help secure Turkey's acquisition of dozens of fighter jet engines, but won't resolve the F-35 dispute that has soured ties, analysts say.
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