The Trump administration is pushing ahead with a sale of dozens of General Electric jet engines to Türkiye valued at more than $700 million, overriding objections from at least one senior member of Congress in what analysts are likely to view as a significant diplomatic gesture to Ankara ahead of a NATO summit next month, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The engines will power the Kaan, Türkiye’s first domestically developed combat aircraft, a flagship defense program launched in 2016 that reflects Ankara’s broader drive toward military self-sufficiency within the NATO alliance.
Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, raised objections during the informal review period and has not signed off on the package, according to two sources, including a U.S. official.Despite that opposition, the sale is expected to be finalized within days, after which the State Department will formally notify Congress. The State Department declined to comment.
The move comes nearly a year after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan publicly complained about delays in the approval process. The decision to proceed clears a transaction that had been stalled in the congressional review pipeline, a step that precedes formal notification under U.S. arms export rules.
The KAAN fighter’s early prototypes are powered by two General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofan engines. These are the same engine family used in advanced variants of the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15 Eagle.
GE F110-GE-129 specifications
- Manufacturer: GE Aerospace
- Type: Afterburning turbofan
- Maximum thrust: Approximately 29,000 lbf (129 kN) with afterburner per engine
- Configuration: Twin-engine installation on KAAN
- Role: Powers prototype aircraft and initial production batches while Türkiye develops its indigenous engine.
Using the proven F110 allows Turkish engineers to accelerate flight testing and certification, reduce technical risk during early development and focus on validating the aircraft’s aerodynamics, avionics, and stealth characteristics before introducing a new engine.
Future indigenous engine
Türkiye is developing the TF35000 turbofan through TEI (TUSAŞ Engine Industries) as the long-term powerplant for KAAN. The planned engine is intended to produce about 35,000 lbf of thrust, offering higher performance and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.
In June 2026, the United States moved toward approving a sale of GE F110 engines for the KAAN program, valued at more than US$700 million. The engines are expected to support continued flight testing and early production while the TF35000 remains under development.
If the TF35000 reaches production as planned, later KAAN variants are expected to transition from the GE F110 to the indigenous engine, improving export flexibility and reducing dependence on foreign engine approvals.
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