U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would lift sanctions on Turkey and make a decision regarding the potential sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a NATO summit in Ankara. Trump confirmed that sanctions imposed under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act would be removed and stated that he and Erdogan would also discuss trade.
The tension between the two nations began after Turkey's 2019 acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, which Washington viewed as a security risk to U.S.-made combat aircraft. In response, the United States imposed sanctions in 2020 and removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program. Congress subsequently passed a law prohibiting the sale of F-35s to Ankara as long as it remains in possession of the Russian systems.
Despite legal and congressional hurdles, Trump indicated he may reverse the ban on Turkey buying the fighter jets, noting that his secretary of state and treasury secretary are working on the issue. There are suggestions that the two leaders could exchange letters to work around existing restrictions. These developments follow a formal notification to Congress last month regarding the intention to sell Turkey jet engines worth more than $700 million, signaling improving ties between the two countries.