ANKARA: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Jul 7) announced that Washington would lift US sanctions on Türkiye that were imposed in 2020 over Ankara's purchase of Russian defence missiles, while expressing a willingness to sell the fellow NATO ally F-35 fighter jets.The move would be a massive gesture from Trump to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan whom he considers a close ally and would remove a major long-standing irritant in bilateral ties.Even as Washington and Ankara have enjoyed warmer ties under Trump, Türkiye's 2019 acquisition of the Russian S-400 system has long been a sore point for both sides.In response to that purchase, Washington in 2020 imposed sanctions on a major Turkish defence company and removed Türkiye from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program, where Ankara was also a production partner.
"We're going to be taking the sanctions off," Trump told reporters just before his meeting with Erdogan during a visit to Türkiye for a NATO summit. He added that his secretary of state and Treasury secretary were working on the issue.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes US President Donald Trump, who is paying an official visit to Türkiye ahead of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, at Ankara Airport in Ankara, on Jul 7, 2026. (Photo: Doğukan Keskinkılıç/Pool via REUTERS)
