Trump administration set to approve sale of fighter jet engines to Turkey despite congressional objections

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to approve the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fighter jet engines to Turkey, despite objections from members of Congress. The sale is intended for Turkey's indigenous KAAN fighter jet program.

According to Reuters, which cited four sources, the deal involves dozens of General Electric jet engines. One source indicated the value of the package exceeds $700 million. The US State Department is expected to formally notify Congress of the sale in the coming days.

Sources told Reuters that Gregory Meeks, a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, continues to oppose the sale. However, the process is anticipated to be finalized soon. This decision comes after Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan publicly criticized delays in the engine sale about a year ago.

The report suggests the Trump administration's move is part of an effort to strengthen defense cooperation between the two NATO allies ahead of the alliance's summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara. Relations between the US and Turkey have been strained since Ankara's acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems, which led to Turkey's removal from the F-35 program and subsequent sanctions.

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The value of the deal is over $700 million.