Turkey has taken delivery of the first 10 engines for its domestically developed fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet, while negotiations continue with the United States over licenses needed for 80 more, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said in a written response to parliament.
Güler was replying to a question from İlhami Özcan Aygun, a lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). He said the KAAN program is using the US-made F110-GE-129E engine under two subcontracts involving Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and GE Aerospace.
Güler said 10 engines were delivered under the first contract. Talks with the US government are ongoing over the second contract, which covers the supply of 80 additional engines.
The minister also provided an update on Turkey’s efforts to develop a domestic engine for the aircraft. He said Tusaş Engine Industries (TEI) selected its TF35000 engine concept in March 2024 for use in KAAN Block 30 and Block 40 variants. A preliminary design phase contract was signed in August 2024, with completion targeted for early 2026.
Uncertainty over engine procurement is linked to US sanctions imposed after Turkey bought the Russian-made S-400 long-range air defense system. The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a US law enacted in 2017, has restricted Turkey’s access to certain US defense technologies since sanctions were imposed in 2020.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in late September that licensing for KAAN engines was being delayed in the United States, warning that prolonged restrictions could push Ankara to seek alternatives. “The KAAN engines are being held up in the US Congress, and the licenses are stalled,” Fidan said while in New York.
Resistance to lifting the sanctions remains strong in the US Congress. In August, 40 lawmakers urged the State Department to maintain CAATSA measures against Turkey, citing concerns over Ankara’s continued possession of the S-400 system. The department later reiterated that Washington’s position on Turkey’s S-400 possession remains unchanged.
On September 25, the day President Donald Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the White House, lawmakers sent another letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. They pointed to Section 1245 of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires written certification to Congress that Turkey no longer possesses the S-400 system before any waiver can be granted.
Aygun criticized Güler’s response, saying the fate of the 80 engines depends on decisions in Washington. He questioned how Turkey could meet its production timeline while the domestic engine project remains at the preliminary design stage.
Turkey has said it aims to deliver the first KAAN aircraft to its air force by the end of 2028.