President Donald Trump said Tuesday he plans to lift U.S.sanctions on Turkey and signaled he is prepared to move forward with the long-stalled sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets, marking a dramatic reversal in U.S.
policy toward the NATO ally years after Ankara was expelled from the program for its purchase of a Russian missile defense system.Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a bilateral meeting at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Trump said his administration would remove sanctions imposed on Turkey's defense sector."I can tell you we're going to be taking the sanctions off, OK?" Trump said."I don't want him to waste his time answering that question.
It's time.We don't sanction friends."TRUMP BETS ON FORMER NATO TROUBLEMAKER AS TURKEY'S STRATEGIC VALUE SURGESTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes US President Donald Trump at Ankara Airport, who is paying an official visit to Turkey ahead of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 07, 2026.
(Dogukan Keskinkilic/Pool via REUTERS)Asked whether he would sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey despite existing legal restrictions tied to Ankara's purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, Trump indicated he was open to doing so."Many people, including the people sitting right here thinks why wouldn't we do that?" Trump said."Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal."Pressed on concerns about Turkey's continued possession of the S-400, Trump dismissed them."I have no concerns about anything."The remarks represent Trump's clearest indication yet that he intends to restore defense ties with Turkey, building on months of efforts to revive military cooperation with one of NATO's largest armed forces after years of strained relations.Turkey was removed from the multinational F-35 program in 2019 after taking delivery of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, prompting Washi...