Trump pushes $700 million jet engine deal with Turkey, sparking Congressional backlash
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump pushes $700 million jet engine deal with Turkey, sparking Congressional backlash")
US President Donald Trump greets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
The Trump administration has notified Congress of a proposed $700 million jet engine sale to Turkey, drawing opposition from lawmakers over Ankara’s Russian S-400 system and possible future F-35 sales.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has formally informed Congress of its plan to approve the sale of jet engines worth over $700 million to Turkey. The move marks a significant effort to strengthen defence ties with the ally ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara next month. This comes after reports suggested that the Trump administration plans to go ahead with the deal despite opposition from some lawmakers over Turkey’s possession of Russian defence systems.
“The US government is prepared to license the export of these items having taken into account political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations,” the State Department said in a notification to Congress on Wednesday (Jun 24).
The proposed package includes engines manufactured by General Electric that will power Turkey’s indigenous KAAN fighter aircraft, a project launched in 2016 to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign military equipment.
The development comes amid concerns raised by several US lawmakers over Turkey’s possession of the Russian-made S-400 air defence system, purchased in 2019. The acquisition had strained relations between Washington and Ankara, with the US imposing sanctions and removing Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet programme over security concerns.
Trump has earlier described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an important partner. Speaking on the matter, Trump said on Wednesday (Jun 24), “I’m going to probably do something that will make them very happy.”
Congress now has 15 days to introduce a joint resolution aimed at blocking the sale. However, such a measure would require approval in both the House and Senate and could ultimately be vetoed by the president.
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Several Democrats in Congress on Thursday criticised the proposed engine sale, arguing that the US should not consider supplying F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
“We cannot reward Erdogan’s government while it continues to violate US law and threaten our reliable, democratic allies,” Representative Chris Pappas of New Hampshire said. “Absolutely no F-35s to Turkey.”
“If POTUS continues down this path, I will introduce a joint resolution of disapproval,” said US Representative Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat.
