US says review underway to see how Turkey can get F-35 fighter jets

U.S. Vice President JD Vance indicated ‌that a review was underway to see how the United States could sell ⁠Türkiye F-35 fighter jets given Ankara’s 2019 acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, Reuters reported.

“Pete [Hegseth] and the entire team are reviewing this right now, ‌because ⁠there are certain things that we have to certify have happened … in ⁠order to comply with American law. The president has ⁠asked us to do that,” Vance ⁠told reporters.

President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to push ahead with the sale of dozens of jet engines to Türkiye worth hundreds of millions of dollars ahead ‌of a NATO summit there next month, despite objections from some members of the U.S. Congress, Reuters reported citing sources familiar with the matter.

The engines, produced by General Electric, will power Türkiye’s first indigenous combat jet KAAN, a major project launched in 2016 as part of NATO member Ankara’s efforts to be more self-sufficient in its defense. One of the sources said the package will be worth more than $700 million.

Asked on Wednesday about the jet engines, the F-35 program, and his plans for the summit in Ankara, Trump said: “I’m going to probably do ⁠something that will make them very happy.”

Trump also said he will attend the NATO summit in Ankara ‘out of respect’ for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Asked whether he was going to Türkiye “with a big gift bag,” Trump pointed to Türkiye’s NATO membership.

“Look, he’s a member of NATO. Some people don’t consider himself (a NATO member), but he really is. He’s a strong member of NATO,” Trump said during his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House.