Turkey’s Jet Ambitions Rest On US Engines Until It Goes Domestic

Turkey’s bid to build its first indigenous fighter jet still hinges on US engines, underscoring how a key defense technology may hamstring efforts to become an export powerhouse for a new generation of weapons.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said US congressional sanctions tied to Ankara’s purchase of a Russian air-defense system in 2017 have frozen export licenses and deliveries of GE Aerospace F110-GE-129 engines for the fifth-generation Kaan fighter program.