Trump’s jet engine deal for Turkey’s KAAN fighter sparks congressional backlash ahead of NATO summit

The Trump administration has formally notified Congress of a proposed sale of more than $700 million in General Electric jet engines to Turkey, a move framed as a goodwill gesture to Ankara just weeks before Turkey hosts the NATO summit in early July 2026.

SON DAKİKA | KAAN’ın F-110 motorlarının ihracatı için ABD Dışişleri Bakanlığı kongreye bildirim yaptı. pic.twitter.com/wJvtkuwGmA
— Avionot (@avionot) June 25, 2026

The engines, reportedly GE F110 models, are intended to power the early production batches of Turkey’s indigenous KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet. The deal aims to support Ankara’s long-standing push for greater defense self-sufficiency while Turkey develops its own domestic engine.

Personal diplomacy meets institutional pushback

President Donald Trump has spoken warmly of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, calling him a “strong” and “respected” leader. Trump has indicated he plans to attend the NATO summit in Ankara (7-8 July) “out of respect” for Erdoğan and has hinted at further defence cooperation, including potential steps toward addressing Turkey’s interest in F-35 jets.

The engine sale notification, reported first by Reuters and confirmed with a formal letter to Congress, represents a tangible step in that direction. It comes despite Turkey’s continued possession of Russia’s S-400 air defence system – the very issue that led to Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 program in 2019 and the imposition of CAATSA sanctions.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, placed a hold on the informal review and sharply criticized the administration for bypassing Congress. In a statement, Meeks said the State Department offered no emergency justification, no detailed briefing on security implications, and showed “open contempt for Congress’s oversight authority.”

The administration is reportedly prepared to proceed with formal notification and, if necessary, override the hold – a relatively rare step.

Bipartisan concerns over Erdoğan’s reliability

Criticism has crossed party lines. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), a member of the Intelligence Committee, posted on X: “Turkish President Erdogan has cozied up to Hamas and Putin while threatening our allies in Israel, Greece and Cyprus. Yet, the Trump Administration is happy to sell them advanced engines to power fighter jets. Erdogan cannot be trusted, this decision must be reversed.”

Other lawmakers have echoed worries about technology transfer risks, Turkey’s balancing act with Russia, its role in Syria, and tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Some see the deal as a potential slippery slope toward broader reintegration of Turkey into advanced U.S. fighter programs.

Strategic сontext: NATO, KAAN, and regional tensions

For Turkey, the engines are a critical bridge. The KAAN program, launched years ago, has faced delays in developing a fully indigenous powerplant. Securing reliable U.S. engines would accelerate flight testing and initial production of the stealthy fighter, which Turkey positions as a symbol of its rising defence industry.

The timing aligns with the NATO summit in Ankara’s Beştepe Presidential Complex. Alliance leaders will discuss burden-sharing, defence spending, and regional security at a moment when Turkey’s relationships with key members remain strained.

Supporters of the deal argue that strengthening a major NATO flank state and rewarding Erdoğan’s cooperation on certain issues (such as staying out of the recent Iran conflict) serves U.S. interests. Critics counter that it risks rewarding destabilizing behavior and undermining congressional oversight on arms exports.

The formal notification starts a 30-day congressional review clock under the Arms Export Control Act, though the administration’s willingness to override holds suggests the sale is likely to advance. Deliveries would still be years away.

Tensions over denial of press accreditations

The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara is not free of criticism, as many observers highlight President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s increasingly authoritarian style of governance, including his government’s well-documented record of controlling and suppressing independent media through arrests, fines, and ownership changes.

This scrutiny has intensified with the recent denial of press accreditations to dozens of Turkish journalists from opposition-leaning and independent outlets such as Cumhuriyet, T24, Medyascope, and Halk TV, a decision widely condemned by journalism groups as an affront to media freedom, with NATO stating it relied on host-country guidance for local applicants.

Caption: The US is advancing a $700 million sale of GE jet engines to power Turkey’s KAAN fighter jet [@IsraelMilitaryC on X]