US moves to advance GE engine sale to Turkey

The U.S. administration is preparing to move forward with the export of dozens of General Electric jet engines to Turkey in a package described as worth more than $700 million. The engines are slated for Turkey’s indigenous KAAN combat aircraft, whose early-production variants rely on U.S.-made GE powerplants. A formal notification to Congress is expected in the coming days as the process moves from informal review to official consideration.

The planned sale marks a substantial hardware commitment to support the KAAN programme, which is central to Turkey’s efforts to field a domestically developed fighter. While exact quantities have not been disclosed beyond the reference to “dozens,” the size and value of the package underline its importance for initial KAAN production and testing.

During the informal review stage on Capitol Hill, some members of Congress raised objections to the proposed engine sale. Representative Gregory Meeks was among those who sought more information and expressed concerns during this phase. Despite these reservations, the administration still intends to proceed and shift the proposal into the formal notification process required for major U.S. arms exports.

The move through Congress will be watched closely given the broader backdrop of U.S.-Turkish defence tensions in recent years. The informal review period allowed lawmakers to question the deal, but current indications are that the administration views the transaction as sufficiently aligned with its broader policy objectives to justify advancing it.

Reporting presents the engine decision as a significant gesture toward Ankara at a sensitive diplomatic moment. NATO leaders are scheduled to meet in the Turkish capital on July 7–8, 2026, and the timing of the sale is seen as relevant in the run-up to that summit. The package underscores continued defence-industrial ties between the U.S. and Turkey despite areas of friction.

By supporting the KAAN programme with U.S.-made engines, the deal highlights ongoing cooperation in advanced aerospace technology between the two allies. It also signals that, even amid disagreements, Washington is prepared to approve major defence exports that facilitate Turkey’s national fighter development plans.

Analysts and reporting stress that the GE engine sale does not meet Turkey’s broader goal of rejoining the F-35 fighter programme. Turkey’s participation in that programme was disrupted following its 2019 acquisition of Russian S-400 air-defence systems, a purchase that remains a central source of strain in bilateral defence ties.

The new engine package therefore functions as a tactical, programme-specific step rather than a comprehensive reset of defence relations. It delivers immediate benefit for KAAN production but leaves unresolved the larger disputes linked to the S-400 systems and Turkey’s exclusion from the F-35. As a result, the deal is framed as a meaningful yet limited advance in U.S.-Turkey defence cooperation.