Trump promised Turkey that he would lift the CAATSA sanctions
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Washington intends to lift the CAATSA sanctions currently in place against Turkey. According to him, the U.S. should not impose restrictions on its allies, and it is time to turn the page on this chapter in relations between the two countries.
At the same time, he noted that the issue of Turkey’s return to the F-35 fighter jet program remains under discussion. The U.S. president stated that his administration is ready to lift the CAATSA sanctions that were imposed on Turkey. “We will lift these sanctions. I can say that. We’re working very closely together. Now is the time. It’s time to do this, to lift the sanctions. We don’t want to impose sanctions on our friends,” said Donald Trump.
He added that this decision is supported by key members of his administration, who were also present at the meeting. “Marco Rubio is here, our Secretary of State is here, Scott Bessent is here, Pete is here—everyone is here. We are lifting these sanctions, these restrictions, because the time has come,” the U.S. president emphasized.
“President Erdoğan is a wonderful leader, a leader respected throughout the world,”
said U.S. President Trump. “We have very good relations. Under the President’s leadership, Turkey has become a very strong country militarily. I have the utmost respect for the President. #NATOsummit pic.twitter.com/fcjoH4QqIe— TRT Haber Canlı (@trthabercanli) July 7, 2026
Trump also commented separately on the issue of U.S. F-35 fighter jets. He did not discuss specific agreements but noted that negotiations on this matter are ongoing. The U.S. president also spoke highly of relations between Washington and Ankara. According to him, Turkey remains an important NATO ally, and his personal contacts with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan help strengthen cooperation. ““NATO has actually disappointed me greatly, and if the summit weren’t being held in Turkey, and if my friend—a very strong leader—weren’t there, I might not have come. But I decided to be here because I consider him a very important leader,” Trump said.
CAATSA sanctions were imposed on Turkey after Ankara purchased Russian S-400 air defense missile systems. It was precisely for this reason that the country was also excluded from the F-35 fighter jet production and supply program.
If the decision to lift the sanctions is implemented, it could be one of the most significant steps toward restoring relations between the U.S. and Turkey in recent years. At the same time, the issue of defense cooperation—particularly regarding the F-35—remains unresolved for now. Trump mentioned this during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had allegedly had another conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and subsequently spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, neither Kyiv nor Moscow has yet confirmed these contacts.
