Congressman Dina Titus, a Democrat from the state of Nevada, has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives seeking to block the planned sale of General Electric F110 engines for Turkey’s KAAN fighter jet program, the Greek Kathimerini daily reported.
The resolution targets a proposed Foreign Military Sale formally notified to Congress on June 24 by US President Donald Trump’s administration. The package, worth more than $700 million, would cover dozens of GE F110 engines and related support for KAAN, Turkey’s domestically developed fighter aircraft.
The State Department said in the notification that the US government was prepared to approve the export after considering “political, military, economic, human rights and arms control considerations.”
The resolution seeks to block not only the transfer of the engines but also the technical support, services and data needed to install, test and certify them for use in the aircraft.
KAAN is Turkey’s most ambitious fighter jet project and is intended to reduce Ankara’s dependence on foreign suppliers. However, its early versions are expected to rely on US-made engines while Turkey works on a locally produced alternative.
A joint resolution of disapproval is a tool Congress can use to try to stop a weapons sale after the administration has formally notified lawmakers. Introducing such a resolution does not by itself block the sale.
To stop the transfer, the resolution would have to pass both the House and the Senate and become law, either with the president’s signature or through a congressional override of a veto.
Given the current balance in Congress and the lack of broad bipartisan opposition to the engine sale, that outcome appears unlikely.
The resolution has been referred to the relevant House committee. Lawmakers have a 15-day review period from the June 24 notification to act on the proposed sale.
The language of the resolution also clarifies that the deal is being handled as a Foreign Military Sale, meaning the US government would be the official seller. Under that process, the US State Department approves the transaction and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notifies Congress before the sale can move forward.
The proposed engine sale has drawn criticism from Greek-American and Armenian-American advocacy groups, which argue that Washington should not expand defense cooperation with Turkey while disputes over Ankara’s purchase of a Russian-made S-400 air defense system remain unresolved.
Turkey was removed from the US-led F-35 fighter jet program in 2019 after taking delivery of the S-400 system. US officials said the Russian system could compromise the security of the F-35, a stealth aircraft developed by the United States with NATO partners, including Turkey.
The purchase also triggered US sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which remain in effect.
Titus has separately led an effort urging House leaders to be ready to block any attempt by the Trump administration to allow Turkey back into the F-35 program without meeting US legal requirements.
That effort followed recent comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting that he might take action that would make Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “very happy” when asked whether Turkey could regain access to the F-35 program.
Vice President JD Vance later said any F-35 sale to Turkey would require congressional approval and compliance with US law.
US law currently bars the transfer of F-35 aircraft to Turkey unless Ankara no longer possesses the S-400 system, gives assurances it will not acquire it again and certifies that it has not accepted further deliveries linked to the system or another platform that could threaten US weapons.
Turkey says it turned to the Russian system after failing to secure comparable air defenses from its NATO allies. US officials have long warned that the S-400 could allow Moscow to gather data on the F-35’s stealth capabilities.
The engine dispute comes as Turkey seeks to advance KAAN while also repairing defense ties with Washington.
Titus, who has previously criticized Turkey’s role in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and supported congressional recognition of the mass killings of Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire as “genocide,” a characterization Turkey rejects, has been active on issues involving Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean.