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6h ago

U.S. Signals Approval of F110 Engine Sales to Turkey Ahead of Ankara NATO Summit

Clearing engines would speed Turkey’s KAAN fighter project while legal and congressional barriers keep F-35 readmission uncertain.

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Turkey's purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system, like the ones seen here in Moscow's Red Square last year, sparked widespread concern within NATO
Turkey is developing its own fifth-generation stealth fighter, known as the KAAN
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Overview

  • U.S. officials have notified Congress about a proposed export of F110 engines to Turkey, a move reported to involve more than $700 million in potential sales and advance approvals for additional engine shipments.
  • President Trump has publicly indicated he will offer concessions to President Erdoğan during the July NATO summit in Ankara and said he plans to “probably do something that’s going to make him very happy,” comments that align with the engine clearance reports.
  • The F110 engines are critical to Turkey’s KAAN fifth‑generation fighter because Ankara does not yet have a domestic production‑ready engine; Turkey already received an initial tranche of F110s and has sought dozens more to expand test flights and prototypes into a fleet.
  • Rejoining the F-35 programme remains stalled because Turkey’s 2019 purchase of Russia’s S-400 triggered U.S. security concerns and CAATSA sanctions, and any reversal would require legal fixes and likely congressional approval.
  • The expected U.S. gesture could mend U.S.-Turkey ties and boost Turkey’s defence industry, but it also raises NATO security worries about technology exposure and could prompt debates in Congress and among U.S. allies over alliance cohesion and oversight.