Trump reveals $8B Boeing agreement with Uzbekistan

Trump said Monday that Uzbekistan Airways has agreed to buy up to 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in a deal worth more than $8 billion, according to a post he made on Truth Social.

The announcement came after a phone call earlier this month between Trump and Uzbekistan’s president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The official signing took place during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a statement from the U.S. Commerce Department.

The order includes 14 Dreamliners, with an option to add 8 more, Boeing confirmed in its own release. The Commerce Department estimated the deal’s value at $8.5 billion, calling it “the largest commercial aircraft agreement of its kind in Central Asia.”

Both Trump and Boeing claimed the order will “support nearly 35,000 U.S. jobs.” The specifics of those jobs—whether they’re factory roles, logistics, or support—weren’t detailed.

Erdogan pushes for aircraft and fighter jet deals

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to push through multiple aircraft purchases of his own. He’s reportedly planning to buy hundreds of Boeing airliners and Lockheed Martin fighter jets, while also demanding that more than $10 billion worth of components be produced in Turkey, according to unnamed sources familiar with the talks.

The deal still needs Trump’s green light. Erdogan is set to meet Trump this Thursday at the White House, in what insiders are calling a make-or-break meeting.

The two leaders are expected to try and fix ongoing tensions, especially over Turkey’s earlier purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system, which led to U.S. sanctions under the CAATSA law. That move also got Turkey kicked out of the F-35 fighter program.

Despite refusing to ditch the S-400s, Ankara is hoping Trump will amend the sanctions and allow Turkey to buy 40 F-35A jets built by Lockheed Martin.

If that happens, Washington might also lift the suspension on 10 Turkish companies that were cut off from producing $12 billion worth of F-35 parts. Those companies include Turkish Aerospace Industries, which makes the aircraft’s center fuselage.

Turkey eyes more U.S. fighters and engine production

Turkey isn’t stopping with the F-35s. Erdogan is also looking to complete a deal to buy 40 F-16 Viper jets, plus hundreds of bombs, missiles, and spare engines, according to Bloomberg.

That agreement was approved last year after Turkey backed Sweden’s entry into NATO. Originally, Ankara had planned to just upgrade 79 older F-16s but later decided to go for a fresh batch of F-35As, sources said.

Currently, Turkey operates around 240 F-16s, making it the second-largest fleet in the world after the U.S. The country wants to retire its older F-4s and eventually shift to its own warplanes, like the twin-engine Kaan and Hurjet trainers.

For that, Ankara needs U.S. approval to obtain and build GE Aerospace F110 and F404 engines, which are used in both American and Turkish aircraft.

There’s been no formal reply from Washington yet. If allowed, Turkey could speed up its jet production at a time when global demand for U.S. warplanes is rising. Some Turkish software firms are also in line to provide critical tech, while others might help skirt EU chemical rules used in the production of certain plane parts, the report said.

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