US President Donald Trump announced plans to lift sanctions on Turkey and said his administration would consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Ankara, marking a significant shift in bilateral relations.
The announcement came during a joint media appearance with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara on Tuesday. Trump stated the sanctions under CAATSA targeting Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industries would be removed, while Erdogan said Trump had personally promised to resolve the dispute.
Turkey was expelled from the F-35 programme in 2019 after acquiring Russian S-400 air defence systems. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the potential sale, warning it would disrupt regional power balances and could enable Turkish aggression.