FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's reference to American engines for the new fighter jet has caused strong reactions in Turkey.
In an interview from New York, Fidan said that "we are waiting for the engines so that production of the KAAN can begin," causing internal friction, as the statement undermines the government's narrative of a "domestic and national" aircraft.
The issue took on new dimensions when an Associated Press camera accidentally recorded a private conversation between two Turkish NTV correspondents outside the White House.
The private conversation, where Fidan "deliberately removed the issue of engines" due to the competition to succeed Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was published by a pro-government media outlet, causing a stir in Ankara.
Hüseyin Günay ne yaptin, şarıf gitti. pic.twitter.com/JR57k2UcO8
— Ayhan Dadaloğlu (@AyhanDadaloglu) September 30, 2025
Video:
Journalist: How did the talks go?
Huseyin Gunay, NTV correspondent in Washington: Excellent... but we didn't get anything. We got our answer. We didn't get anything.
Journalist: No, they say we got it.
Huseyin Gunay: Yes, we did, but we got approval. They talked about CAATSA, F-35, but they set conditions. Like if Palestinians are expelled from their countries, Turkey has to take them. They also told him to stop buying natural gas from Russia and not to trade with China and not to transfer money to Palestine. We can't do any of that."
Journalist: Well, with this, Erdogan will die (politically)!
Huseyin Gunay: But now they are talking about the era after him.
Journalist: Is your camera on?
Huseyin Günay: No... it opens... if I click here... Inside (in Ankara) they are already putting a lot of pressure on Hakan Fidan. Now that with his statement the information about the aircraft engines escaped... nobody knew. The man suddenly dropped a bomb. He did it intentionally. He is playing with Albayrak. That is, he is playing with the son-in-law. Inside there is a big fight between Fidan, the son-in-law, and Bilal (ed. Erdogan's son). These three groups are being killed.
Reactions in the Turkish press
Milliyet editor-in-chief Ozay Sedir tried to soften the blow, noting that “using foreign engines in the first prototypes of fighter jets is an international practice.” However, the revelation of the off-camera dialogue hinting at Erdogan’s successor has fueled speculation about a rift at the top of the Turkish government.
The pro-government newspaper Milliyet commented that “I wish Fidan had never brought the issue to the fore,” while the head of the Defense Industry Directorate, Haluk Gürgün, was quick to assure that “KAAN’s future does not depend on an engine from a single country.” In contrast, Cumhuriyet journalist Baris Terkoglu argued that Fidan’s statement “was true, but it is considered a mistake” and that the storm that erupted reflected the power struggles within the government.
At the same time, well-known commentator Cem Küçük of TGRT claimed that Erdogan himself received "misinformation" about the program, believing that the first 45 fighter jets would already have "domestic engines." According to him, Ankara has closed a deal for 90 American F110 engines used in the F-16.
In Turkey, Erdogan will leave everything in motion
Commenting on recent developments, internationalist and New Democracy MP Angelos Syrigos, speaking on Wednesday morning for SKAI, stated that Hakan Fidan's dislike is not accidental and is related to the scenarios circulating in Turkey about Erdogan's imminent departure from power.
As stated, Erdogan himself, according to the scenarios circulating, will mobilize the procedures for his removal. As Mr. Syrigos said, one of the main contenders, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, spoke about KAAN, leaving hints about the production of national engines for Turkish fighter jets. "Fidan does not speak casually and that was the reason why he saw in the previous months the publications about the authenticity of his diplomas. In Turkey, if you do not have a diploma, you cannot run for president and there were publications saying that his diploma is forged," he said, among other things.
Ky avioni luftaraka KAAN I erdoganit eshte njilloj si ajo makina e talibaneve qe thane se kan bere nje super Makine talibanet sa moren pushtetin po Motorri eshte I Volkswagen