In a revealing analysis published on June 25, Yetkin Report’s Murat Yetkin outlines a stunning geopolitical realignment ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara. During a White House meeting on June 24, US President Donald Trump told NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that he is traveling to the July 7-8 summit specifically for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. When Rutte pressed whether Trump would attend for him, the President hesitated before responding, "Probably, I could come," explicitly highlighting his strong personal rapport with Erdoğan while underscoring Türkiye’s critical role within NATO due to its powerful military.
Trump revealed he would arrive in Ankara bearing a "big gift" intended to delight President Erdoğan. Concurrent media reports confirmed that this gift is the approval for General Electric F-110 jet engines, which are crucial for powering Türkiye’s indigenous National Combat Aircraft, the KAAN. The announcement signals a major diplomatic win for Ankara, effectively removing a long-standing obstacle to Türkiye's domestic fighter jet program.
Crucially, this concession hinges on a broader strategic realignment. Trump explicitly admitted to asking Erdoğan to refrain from direct military engagement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, which ignited on February 28. Acknowledging that Erdoğan is "not a big fan of Israel," Trump confirmed that the Turkish leader complied by staying out of the war, confining Ankara to harsh rhetoric rather than active intervention. This quid pro quo comes after the US and NATO stepped in to intercept Iranian missiles targeting Turkey in March, sending Patriot and SAMP/T systems while urging Ankara to remain calm and let NATO handle the air defense.
While this patched immediate security gaps, it highlighted Türkiye’s glaring vulnerability in air defense, exacerbated by its 2019 removal from the F-35 program over the Russian S-400 purchase. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had publicly admitted that without US approval for the F-110 engines, the KAAN could not take flight. According to reports from journalist Cem Küçük, the first fleet of 45 KAAN fighters requires 90 engines (two per aircraft). While 10 engines for prototypes have already been procured, an urgent need remains for 80 more units, valued at approximately $700 million. The official Dezenformasyonla Mücadele Merkezi (DMM) confirmed Erdoğan was fully aware of these details.
Trump appears ready to bypass Congressional hurdles to expedite the finalization of this deal. The arrival of these engines is expected not only to launch the first KAAN fleet but also to accelerate Türkiye's indigenous jet motor development program. However, regarding Erdoğan’s greater hope of re-entering the F-35 program, prospects remain dim for this upcoming NATO summit.
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