US Vice President JD Vance indicated on Wednesday that a review was underway to see how the United States could sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets, given Ankara's 2019 acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defense systems. "Pete and the entire team are reviewing this right now, because there are certain things that we have to certify have happened...in order to comply with American law. The president has asked us to do that," Vance told reporters.
US President Donald Trump's administration is also planning to push ahead with the sale of dozens of jet engines to Turkey worth hundreds of millions of dollars despite objections from some members of the US Congress, four sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, an important gesture to Ankara ahead of a NATO summit there next month. The engines, produced by General Electric, will power Turkey's first indigenous combat jet KAAN, a major project launched in 2016 as part of NATO member Ankara's efforts to be more self-sufficient in its defense. One of the sources said the package will be worth more than $700 million.
Turkey and the United States have generally enjoyed warm ties under Trump, who regularly praises Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. However, their relationship has been tested by a long-standing disagreement over Washington's decision to remove Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program and impose sanctions after Ankara acquired Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, which the United States says pose a security threat.
Asked on Wednesday about the jet engines, the F-35 program, and his plans for the summit in Ankara, Trump said: "I'm going to probably do something that will make them very happy." While the engine sale is likely to be welcomed in Ankara, analysts say it falls well short of Turkey's broader goal of returning to the F-35 program. (Ed note: What? Give Turkey (Gomer) an arch enemy of Israel, our best jet fighter, the F-35?) (Read More)
