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US President Donald Trump said he would lift sanctions on Turkiye and make a decision on a potential sale of F-35 stealth jets to Ankara as he began a meeting on Tuesday with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at a NATO summit. Trump arrived in Ankara to meet Erdogan and join fellow leaders of the military alliance for the summit, which begins with a dinner this evening.

"We're going to be taking the sanctions off," Trump told reporters when asked about the measures imposed under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Coverage Comparison

In 2020, Washington imposed CAATSA sanctions on Turkiye over its acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems. It also removed Ankara from the F-35 fighter jet program, a move Turkiye called unjust and illegal. Trump was expected to throw his support behind the potential sale of F-35s during the visit to Ankara, according to two sources familiar with the matter, even as legal and congressional hurdles have yet to be fully resolved.

"It's a decision we're going to make," Trump said, adding that he and Erdogan would also discuss trade.

Key Claims

  • Sanctions and F-35 decision: Trump said he would lift sanctions on Turkiye and decide on a potential F-35 sale to Ankara. The remarks came at a NATO summit meeting with Erdogan.
  • Arms deals: NATO leaders unveiled arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars, signalling that they are heeding US calls to spend more to defend Europe. The announcements were made at a defence industry forum in Ankara.
  • Anti-drone investment: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced a series of initiatives, including NATO allies investing more than $40 billion over the next five years in anti-drone capabilities. Rutte called for a defence industry "revolution" across the alliance, warning over Russia's massive military spending as well as China, North Korea and Iran.
  • NATO tensions: Tensions within NATO have deepened since the US attacked Iran in February, with Trump criticizing NATO members for insufficient support in the conflict.
  • Expected Ukraine support: NATO members are expected to reaffirm support for Ukraine and pledge assistance of €70bn ($80bn) in 2026.
  • Russia strike on Kyiv: Russia hammered the Kyiv region with missiles and drones on Monday, killing at least 28 people and exposing Ukraine's critical shortage of US-made air-defence interceptors.
  • Defence spending increase: NATO's European members and Canada spent $90bn more on defence in real terms in 2025 than in 2024, reaching a total of more than $570bn.