Trump-Backed F-35 and Engine Deal for Turkey Puts NATO Tech and Regional Power Balance Under Pressure
President Trump has signaled he is close to approving the sale of F-35 fighters and F-110 jet engines to Turkey, even as his own vice president says the deal remains under review with conditions attached. Ankara wants the engines not only for U.S.-built aircraft but to power its indigenous KAAN fighter, a cornerstone of its long-term airpower strategy. The prospective deal tests how far Washington is willing to share front-line technology with a difficult ally that straddles NATO and the Middle East.
President Donald Trump is edging toward a decision that could reshape Turkey’s airpower and reopen one of NATO’s most contentious technology debates: whether and how to sell F-35 stealth fighters and advanced jet engines to Ankara after years of acrimony over Russian weapons and alliance trust.
Trump has publicly hinted that he will soon approve the sale of F-35 aircraft and F-110 jet engines to Turkey, signaling a potential reversal from earlier periods when Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air-defense system triggered its removal from the F-35 program. His comments suggest that, at least at the presidential level, there is now momentum behind a package that would return Turkey to the cutting edge of Western fighter technology.
At the same time, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has described the deal as still under review, emphasizing that “several conditions” must be met before approval. He said Defense Secretary Pete and his team were actively examining the issue, indicating that the Pentagon and other agencies are weighing security, alliance, and regional implications. That split between Trump’s confident tone and Vance’s caution reflects unresolved tension inside Washington over how far to trust Ankara with highly sensitive equipment.
For Turkey, the stakes are immense. Beyond buying F-35s, Ankara is seeking F-110 jet engines to support its domestic aviation ambitions, specifically the Turkish KAAN fighter project intended to replace portions of its aging F-16 fleet. Access to F-110 technology would accelerate KAAN’s development and give Turkey more control over its own supply chain, reducing dependence on foreign engine manufacturers. In practical terms, that could leave Turkey fielding a mixed fleet of U.S.-built stealth jets and homegrown fighters powered by U.S.-origin engines.
Such a configuration would cement Turkey’s status as the preeminent airpower between Europe and the Gulf, complicating planning for neighbors including Greece, Iraq, Syria, and potentially Israel. It would also raise recurring questions for NATO about interoperability, information security, and the risk that sensitive data or components could be exposed to non-Western partners. Critics in the United States have already voiced concern, warning against “handing over our best technology to Erdogan” and pointing to Turkey’s past defense cooperation with Russia.
For Washington, the decision is a balancing act between keeping a strategic ally inside the Western defense ecosystem and guarding against the leakage of capabilities that underpin U.S. air superiority. A green light for F-35s and F-110s would deepen industrial ties and give Washington renewed leverage over Ankara’s air force, since maintenance, software updates, and parts would flow through U.S.-controlled channels. But it would also commit the United States to sharing some of its most advanced combat aviation technology with a government that has often charted an independent line on Syria, Russia, and regional energy politics.
The deal’s timing intersects with broader bargaining between Washington and Ankara on issues ranging from NATO enlargement to Black Sea security and sanctions enforcement on Russia. Turkey’s role as an energy transit hub, hosting pipelines and LNG infrastructure that matter to European supply, adds another layer: air dominance and energy leverage would reinforce each other in shaping Ankara’s clout.
For other U.S. partners, particularly Greece and Israel, a resurgent Turkish air force equipped with F-35s and next-generation indigenous fighters would force a reassessment of defense planning and procurement. Even without direct confrontation, the regional balance of airpower influences everything from maritime patrol patterns in the Eastern Mediterranean to deterrence calculations in the Levant.
The key signals to watch now are whether the administration sends formal congressional notifications of the sale, what specific conditions are attached regarding Turkey’s other defense relationships, and how Ankara links the aircraft and engine talks to its own commitments on NATO issues. The shape and pace of any approvals will show whether this is a full strategic embrace or a tightly controlled re-entry for Turkey into the highest tier of Western air technology.
Sources
- OSINT