Trump vows to lift CAATSA sanctions on Türkiye

US President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to remove the CAATSA sanctions imposed on Türkiye, signaling a major shift in bilateral relations during a high-level meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off … We don’t want to sanction friends,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with President Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.

The US president said he is coordinating with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to finalize the decision.

Regarding the F-35 fighter jet program, Trump noted that he would “certainly consider” restoring sales to Ankara, characterizing Türkiye as being “much more loyal than other countries.”

He also dismissed concerns about Türkiye’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, asserting that the bilateral relationship is “better, probably than it’s ever been.”