Trump vows to lift CAATSA sanctions on Türkiye
Baku, July 7, AZERTAC
US President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to remove the sanctions known as CAATSA imposed on Türkiye several years ago, signaling a major shift in bilateral ties during a high-level meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Anadolu Agency.
“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off ... We don’t want to sanction friends,” Trump told reporters during a one-on-one meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of this week’s NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The US president said he is coordinating with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to finalize the decision.
While Trump signaled a definitive move, under US law, a president cannot permanently terminate CAATSA sanctions entirely without specific congressional procedures. The US imposed Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on Türkiye in 2020.
On the F-35 fighter jet program, Trump said he would "certainly consider" restoring sales to Ankara, characterizing Türkiye as being “much more loyal than other countries.”
Trump described the F-35 fighter jet as “the best plane by far” and suggested Washington has an “obligation” to maintain equipment sold to partners. “It’s a decision we’re going to make.”
He also dismissed concerns about Türkiye's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, long cited as a hurdle to Türkiye buying F-35s, asserting that the Turkish-US relationship is "better, probably than it's ever been."
Trump told Erdogan that the Turkish president has "been a great leader and a respected leader all over the world." Under Erdogan’s leadership, Türkiye has become a “very powerful country militarily” and a force “to be reckoned with,” he added.
He said the two leaders have maintained “good chemistry” since his first term in office. Trump added that he has "a lot of respect" for Erdogan and said he believes that is “to the benefit of both countries."
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