Trump tells Erdogan in Ankara the U.S. will lift Turkey sanctions, weigh F-35 sale

President Donald Trump said during a public portion of his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on July 7, 2026, that the United States would lift sanctions on Turkey and that Washington was considering a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets. Trump made the remarks in response to a question from reporters at the presidential palace, saying, “We’re going to be taking the sanctions off, OK?” according to PBS NewsHour’s video and reporting of the exchange.

The sanctions Trump referred to were imposed in 2020 under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, following Turkey’s purchase of Russian air defense missile systems. Multiple reports connected the step to Ankara’s acquisition of S-400 batteries from Russia and to the legal sanctions framework the U.S. applied afterward.

In addition to lifting the sanctions, Trump said he would “consider” or would decide on a potential F-35 deal during the same diplomatic engagement. Reuters reported that he told Erdogan he would restore access to F-35s and that a decision on possible sales would be forthcoming, framing the issue as part of broader talks rather than as a completed commitment.

Al-Monitor also reported that Trump said the U.S. would remove CAATSA sanctions on Turkey and that he added he would also consider selling F-35 jets. That report further described how, during Trump’s first term, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 manufacturing consortium and blocked the sale in 2019 after an initial delivery of S-400 components, while the systems were described as not fully deployed beyond test firings.

Trump and Erdogan’s remarks came as Turkey hosted the NATO summit and as defense policy and alliance interoperability have remained central topics for member countries. The U.S. has treated access to advanced military systems and sanctions relief as closely linked to compliance with U.S. and allied security requirements, meaning any change in Turkey’s status would still be constrained by further U.S. review and implementation steps rather than a single comment at a podium.

Reuters and other outlets reported the remarks as the U.S. president began or continued bilateral talks in Ankara, with attention on whether sanctions removal would be immediate and what conditions, if any, would accompany a move back toward F-35 access. While Turkey has repeatedly sought restoration of the program, the reported statements did not specify dates, the scope of the relief, or any exact timeline for decisionmaking on aircraft sales.

U.S. officials typically have to follow statutory and administrative procedures to change sanctions designations and to approve military transfers, even when a president indicates an intent to alter policy. The next steps after Trump’s public comments would therefore likely include internal review within the U.S. government and formal communications to implement any sanctions relief and address the process for potential defense sales.