While General Electric did not openly express interest in the TF-X project, its local partner
Tusaş Engine Industries (TEI) announced that it will participate in the engine development phase. On 11 June 2018, TEI General Manager Mahmut Faruk Akşit said that they proposed a mature engine for which they had completed a commercial proposal for the infrastructure of sub-component tests for the compressor. He emphasized the advantage of GE engines over its competitors stating that they have significant OEM support whereas the collaboration between other companies were yet to thrive. TEI committed to submit all intellectual rights to the government.
[30] In October 2018, local media reported that an unknown number of initial production fighters will be equipped with
General Electric F110 engines until
Turkish Air Engine Company (TAEC)
[31] finalizes the local engine.
[32]
On 14 March 2022 Kale & Rolls-Royce re-started the progress of developing an engine for the TF-X program, stating that the previous disputes between the companies have been resolved and
that the first prototype's of the TF-X will use the F110 engine.[33]
On 5 March 2022, İsmail Demir, undersecretary for Defence Industries, in a television interview Demir said the government would now negotiate a possible engine deal with Rolls-Royce. “We had some issues [with Rolls-Royce] before,” he said. “These have been resolved. I think we are ready to work together.”
[34]
As of 31 May 2022, Rolls-Royce does not seem to engage in the development of an indigenous engine for TAI TF-X program yet as Turkey has sent Rolls-Royce a request for proposals and still waiting for the British engine maker’s assessment and reply. İsmail Demir, undersecretary for Defence Industries, said "It is imperative for us that the engine be produced in Turkey … that Turkey should possess intellectual property rights".
[35] His statement implies that the same dispute over intellectual properties of the engine which previously stalled the negotiation between Rolls-Royce and Turkey back in 2019
[36] remained unresolved.
As of 2 June 2022, unknown number of General Electric F110 engines delivered to TEI as the first batch according to the agreement between Tusaş Engine Industries (TEI) and General Electric that comprises delivery of 10 engines in total.[37][38]
On 2 July 2022,
Defence Industry Agency published the
invitation to tender for the domestic development of the engine to be used and İsmail Demir, undersecretary for Defence Industry Agency, stated that TRMotor, which is a subsidiary of TEI, has submitted its proposal and Turkish Air Engine Company (TAEC),
consortium by Kale Group and Rolls-Royce, will submit its offer soon.[39]