The Trump administration formally notified Congress of its intention to sell dozens of jet engines worth more than $700 million to Turkey, according to a copy of the official notice seen by Reuters on Thursday.
Reuters was the first to report on Wednesday that the Trump administration planned to proceed with the sale despite objections from several lawmakers regarding Turkey's possession of Russian defense systems, which were acquired in 2019.
"The US government is prepared to license the export of these items after taking into account political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations," the State Department said in the notice to Congress, which was dated June 24 and sent late Wednesday evening.
The sale is an important gesture to Ankara ahead of a pivotal NATO summit there next month and to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Trump considers a key ally.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Congress has 15 days to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval if it wishes to block the sale. Such a resolution would need to pass both chambers and could face a veto from Trump.
Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a prominent critic of the engine sale, raised objections during an informal review process with the administration and refused to greenlight the package, according to two sources, including a US official.
In a statement on Wednesday, Meeks criticized what the representative described as a failure by the administration to make a "good faith" effort to brief the committee on the implications of the sale for bilateral ties and Turkey's possession of S-400 (Russian air defense systems) hardware.
"These items will not be delivered for years, and the administration has repeatedly ignored iterative requests for information and clarification on key aspects of US policy," Meeks said.
When asked on Wednesday about the jet engines, the F-35 program, and plans for the summit in Ankara, Trump said, "I am probably going to do something that will make them very happy."
The engines, manufactured by General Electric, will power Turkey's first domestic fighter jet, the KAAN – a major project launched in 2016 as part of efforts by the NATO member to become more self-reliant in its defense. Ankara has grown frustrated with prior dealings with the West and several arms embargoes, though Turkish officials acknowledge it will take years to replace the US-made F-16 fighter jets that form the backbone of its air force.
The acquisition of Russian air defense systems by Turkey in 2019 triggered a setback in relations with the United States and damaged congressional support for Ankara. In response, Washington imposed sanctions and removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program.
Congress also passed legislation prohibiting any sale of F-35 aircraft to Turkey as long as Ankara possesses S-400 air defense systems, arguing that the Russian platforms pose a security risk to US-made fighter jets. Since then, it has remained a key point of contention between the two nations – despite Turkey enjoying warmer ties with Washington under Trump.
