Trump says he will lift Turkey sanctions, weigh F-35 sale

Trump said Tuesday he will lift CAATSA sanctions on Turkey and "certainly will consider" selling F-35 jets, speaking alongside Erdogan in Ankara.reuters+1
Erdogan said Trump gave him "a separate promise on the F-35 issue," but U.S. law bars any transfer while Turkey possesses Russia's S-400 system.apa+1
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers and Israeli PM Netanyahu have urged Trump to block any F-35 sale to Turkey.lawler.house+1

President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that the United States will lift sanctions on Turkey imposed under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), signaling a potential turning point in defense relations between the two NATO allies. Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara ahead of the NATO summit, Trump said Washington would also consider resuming F-35 fighter jet sales to Turkey.reuters+1

"We will make a decision on the F-35 issue. Our relationship is very good right now," Trump told reporters during the bilateral meeting. When asked specifically about selling F-35s to Turkey, Trump said, "we certainly will consider it."hurriyetdailynews+1

Erdogan responded warmly, telling reporters he believed the summit would "produce a favorable decision on the F-35 issue," and that Trump had previously promised five F-35 jets and "always kept his word." Erdogan also stated that "Trump has given us a separate promise on the F-35 issue" during their meeting.apa+1

Congressional and Israeli Opposition

The move faces resistance from multiple directions. A bipartisan group of House lawmakers, led by Representatives Mike Lawler and Brad Sherman, wrote to Trump last week expressing "deep concern about any effort to sell F-35s to Turkey." Federal law under Section 1245 of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act explicitly prohibits transferring F-35 aircraft to Turkey while it possesses Russia's S-400 air defense system.lawler.house+2

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly urged Trump not to approve the sale. "I don't think they should be given F-35s or the engines for their fighter jets because that'll upset the power balance in the Middle East," Netanyahu said in a Fox News interview, according to the New York Post , adding that such a transfer would undermine "Israeli air dominance and America's presence in the region."middleeastmonitor+1

Background and What Comes Next

The United States suspended Turkey from the Lockheed Martin F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara purchased Russia's S-400 missile defense system, which Washington argued could compromise the stealth jet's sensitive technology. Turkey has rejected that argument and maintains that acquiring the aircraft would strengthen NATO.hurriyetdailynews

Trump's visit to Ankara marks his first trip to Turkey across two presidential terms and comes as the July 7-8 NATO summit brings together leaders from the alliance's 32 member states. He is scheduled to hold additional meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Wednesday before departing.hurriyetdailynews+1

Any actual transfer of F-35 jets would still require congressional certification that Turkey no longer possesses the S-400 — a legal hurdle the administration has yet to address publicly.fddaction+1

Sources (28)