Trump praises Erdogan, says US will lift sanctions on Turkey
US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the US would lift sanctions on Turkey imposed in 2020 over Ankara’s purchase of Russian defense missiles and signaled a willingness to sell the NATO ally F-35 fighter jets, moves that would both be massive gestures to Turkey and may face legal hurdles.
Trump was greeted by President Tayyip Erdogan at the airport with a magnificent state ceremony, as Turkish troops on horseback accompanied Trump’s convoy to the presidential palace in the first visit to Turkey by a US president in 11 years. In public statements, the leaders praised each other. Under Trump, the deteriorating human rights record in Turkey has never been a major worry for Washington.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the Turkish presidential palace, showered Erdogan with praise, saying he had “chemistry” with him and that the relationship with Ankara had never been stronger. The friendliness was an almost total reversal of a relationship that was distant under former President Joe Biden.
Improved ties notwithstanding, Turkey’s 2019 purchase of a Russian S-400 system and Washington’s subsequent implementation of US sanctions on a major Turkish defense company and exclusion of Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program in 2020 have long been a sore subject. Fixing such problems would remove a major strain in the relationship but that is unlikely to happen soon.””We’re going to be lifting the sanctions,” Trump told reporters ahead of his meeting with Erdogan during a visit to Turkey for a NATO summit. “It’s time.” “We don’t want to sanction friends,” he added, adding that his secretary of state and Treasury secretary are working on the problem.
Asked whether he was concerned that Ankara still possessed the Russian S-400s, he responded he was not. ‘I don’t care about anything concerning Turkey,’ he remarked. “Now I would say the relationship with Turkey is better probably than it has ever been.”MUCH MORE FAITHFUL.’
Trump also said he may support a move to allow Turkey to acquire F-35 stealth fighter fighters, though he did not clarify how such a sale would be made in the face of legal challenges and opposition from the US Congress. “Turkey has been, in many ways, far more faithful than other countries that we believe would be loyal. . . . greatest plane, the greatest, the best plane, the best plane out there right now. “And that is certainly something we’ll be looking at,” Trump said.
Erdogan also stated he was hopeful of a satisfactory outcome on Ankara’s request to buy F-35 fighter fighters. “We have already talked about this with the US and were promised five jets,” Erdogan stated. “I know that Mr Trump always keeps his promises,” he said.
The US Congress enacted a measure to ban Turkey from buying any F-35s as long as it kept the S-400s, stating the Russian system was a security risk to US-made combat aircraft. US law currently also prohibits Turkey from using or possessing the S-400 system if it wants to rejoin the F-35 program.
Two people familiar with the subject told Reuters earlier that Trump was anticipated to back a potential sale of F-35s to Turkey. One alternative that has gained some steam in recent weeks is to relocate the Russian system to a third nation, although an agreement on this has yet to be reached, the sources said, asking not to be named to discuss sensitive subjects.
It was unclear whether Russia would agree to such a move that would necessitate end-user responsibilities in arms sales.
NATO countries are looking to Turkey, the alliance’s second-largest military and a prominent producer of armed drones, as an increasingly important bulwark against Russian aggression on
Trump has stepped up his criticism of NATO over what he sees as the pact’s refusal to help with the Iran war, so members are unlikely to criticize Turkey’s declining democracy and rule of law, especially after the Republican president said he may not have attended the NATO summit at all if it hadn’t been Erdogan who invited him.
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, of which Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is presidential candidate and Erdogan’s main competitor, has been hit by an unprecedented judicial crackdown, including jailing of its leaders.