Turkey’s bid to mass produce its first indigenous fighter jet, the Kaan, faces a critical test: securing US approval for importing engines. With congressional sanctions still in place, Ankara is weighing whether alternatives — from European engines to stopgap drones — can buy time until its own engines are ready in the 2030s. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said last week that export licenses for US-made engines must be approved before Kaan can enter serial production, prompting opposition parties to question the success of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Sept. 25 White House visit. Many saw the trip as falling short of expectations after Ankara failed to secure a green light from Washington to lift key defense sector sanctions. Still, analysts remain hopeful that the two sides can reach a deal to keep Kaan’s production on schedule. If reconciliation falters, limited foreign alternatives could slow the jet’s rollout, though experts note that Turkey’s other capabilities may help offset delays and preserve its air defense strength.

“The CAATSA issue is actually a major problem for us,” Fidan told journalists during a press conference in New York on Sept. 27, referring to US sanctions imposed in 2019 under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in response to Turkey’s purchase of a Russian-made air defense system.

“The Kaan’s engines are pending before Congress, with their licensing suspended. They must be approved before the engines can be delivered and production can begin," Fidan added.