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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, confirmed that his administration will lift the sanctions imposed on Turkey in 2020 and said he was willing to authorize the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the country. The announcement was made during a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, as part of a NATO summit.
The sanctions had been applied after Turkey acquired the Russian S-400 anti-missile defense system in 2019, which led Washington to exclude Ankara from the F-35 production program. Trump said that his Secretary of State and the Treasury Secretary are already working to implement the measure.
What did Trump announce about the sanctions and the F-35s for Turkey?
Trump told the press: “We are going to remove the sanctions,” hours before meeting with Erdogan. He also spoke favorably about the F-35, calling it the best fighter jet currently available.
The president did not specify how a possible sale would be implemented, given that there are current legal restrictions. Turkey had been removed from the F-35 program as a producer country after buying the S-400 system.
What is still needed for Turkey to receive the F-35 jets?
A US congressional law prohibits the sale of F-35s to Turkey while the country keeps the Russian S-400 systems in its possession. That regulation remains in force and conditions any progress in the negotiation.
According to sources cited by Reuters, one of the alternatives that gained traction is transferring the S-400 system to a third country, although there is no final agreement on the matter. Russia, which requires end-use conditions in its arms sales, has still not commented on that possibility.