Türkiye is hoping to make progress on its F110 fighter jet engines request during the upcoming NATO summit, where US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Defense analysts believe the high level meeting could help unlock the delivery of engines needed for Türkiye’s ambitious KAAN fighter jet program.
The NATO summit, scheduled for July 7 and 8 in Ankara, will bring together leaders from all 32 member states. Ahead of the gathering, Trump indicated he wanted to improve relations with Türkiye, saying he hoped to make Erdogan “very happy” regarding both the F110 engines and the long standing F 35 issue.
Experts believe the most immediate outcome could be approval for around 40 General Electric F110 engines. These engines are essential for expanding production of the KAAN stealth fighter, Türkiye’s next generation combat aircraft developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). While prototype aircraft are already flying with F110 engines, additional deliveries are required to continue testing and future production.
Türkiye plans to replace the imported engines with a locally developed powerplant in the future. However, officials have confirmed that the domestic engine project remains in its early development stage. Until then, access to US supplied engines is considered critical for the KAAN program.
The biggest challenge remains Türkiye’s purchase of the Russian S 400 missile defense system in 2017. That decision resulted in US sanctions under CAATSA and Türkiye’s removal from the F 35 fighter program in 2019. While analysts expect progress on the engine deal, they believe the F 35 dispute is far more difficult to resolve because any policy change would require support from the US Congress.
Despite these obstacles, Türkiye continues to strengthen its indigenous defense industry. Analysts say securing the F110 engines would significantly accelerate the KAAN project and improve its chances of attracting additional international buyers beyond Indonesia, which has already agreed to purchase 48 aircraft.
