AZE.US
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington will remove sanctions imposed on Turkey over Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system, signaling a major shift in relations between the two NATO allies.
“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off,” Trump told reporters during talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex in Ankara on Tuesday. He said members of his administration were working on the issue but did not announce a timetable.
The United States imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, known as CAATSA, in 2020. Washington had earlier removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, arguing that the Russian-made S-400 system could pose a security risk to the advanced aircraft.
Trump also said the possible sale of F-35 jets to Turkey was “certainly something we will consider,” although he stopped short of announcing a final decision.
Removing the CAATSA sanctions would ease one of the main obstacles to renewed defense cooperation, but legal and congressional hurdles would remain before Turkey could regain access to the F-35 program.
Erdogan said he expected a favorable outcome and expressed confidence that Trump would honor earlier commitments regarding Turkey’s defense needs. The two leaders were also expected to discuss U.S. engines for Turkey’s domestically developed KAAN fighter aircraft.
The announcement came as Trump and Erdogan met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara. Trump praised Turkey as a loyal alliance member and described his relationship with Erdogan as particularly strong.
Trump also said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before traveling to Ankara. According to the U.S. president, both leaders want an agreement, and some progress could emerge soon. Zelensky was also attending the NATO summit and was expected to meet Trump separately.
AZE.US