The administration of the US president plans to proceed with the sale of dozens to , worth hundreds of millions of dollars, despite the objections of the American , according to four sources cited by Reuters and familiar with the matter.
The $700 million package and congressional objections
The engines, produced by General Electric, will be used in Turkey’s first domestically produced fighter jet, the Kaan, a major program launched in 2016 as part of NATO member Ankara’s efforts to achieve greater defense self-sufficiency. One of the sources said the total package would exceed $700 million.
Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee from New York, had raised objections during the informal review process and has not given his approval for the package, according to two of the sources, including a US official.
Despite the objections, the sale is expected to be finalized in the coming days, followed by a formal briefing to Congress by the State Department, the sources said.
The decision to move forward with the deal comes nearly a year after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan publicly protested what he called a delay in the process.
The “thorn” of the F-35 and the Synod
Turkish-US relations are generally warm under Trump, who often praises Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But they have been tested by the long-running dispute over the US decision to exclude Turkey from the F-35 fighter program and impose sanctions, following Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system, which the US says poses a security threat.
Turkey will host NATO leaders on July 7-8 amid tensions within the alliance over burden-sharing, defense spending and US concerns about the allies’ role in efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open during the US-Iran war.
