Trump vows to lift Turkey sanctions, considers F-35 deal at NATO summit

The U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington will lift the harsh economic sanctions imposed on Turkey.

The sanctions on Turkey were imposed in 2020 over Ankara's purchase of Russian defense missiles, and signaled a willingness to sell the NATO ally F-35 fighter jets, moves that would both be massive gestures to Turkey but may face legal hurdles.

“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off,” Trump told reporters.

In the first visit to Turkey by a U.S. president in 11 years, Trump was welcomed by President Tayyip Erdogan at the airport with a lavish state ceremony during which Turkish soldiers riding horses escorted Trump's motorcade to the presidential palace. Both leaders sang each other's praises in their public remarks.

Sitting next to Erdogan, Trump said he would soon make a determination on the sale of US F-35 fighter jets to Turkiye.

“That’s a decision we’re going to make… it’s a great plane, the best plane by far and it’s certainly something we will consider,” Trump said.

Any move to return Turkiye to the F-35 programme would need to overcome a 2020 law requiring a presidential administration to determine Ankara no longer possesses or operates the Russian systems.

The CAATSA sanctions, meanwhile, specifically targeted Turkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries and included US export license bans as well as financial and banking restrictions.

Despite the better ties, Turkey's 2019 acquisition of a Russian S-400 system and Washington's 2020 imposition of U.S. sanctions on a major Turkish defense company and removal of Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program have long been a sore point.

Solving those issues would eliminate a key irritant in the relationship but it is unlikely to materialize quickly.

Erdogan told reporters he hoped for a “favourable decision” on the F-35s, adding that Turkiye had previously been promised five jets.