U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Reading Regional Airport in Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 23, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
(Ankara, Turkey) – President Trump says the United States will lift defense sanctions on Turkey, a major shift in relations with a NATO ally that had been penalized over its purchase of a Russian missile defense system.
Turkey was pushed out of the F-35 fighter jet program after buying Russia’s S-400 system in 2019, a move U.S. officials said created security risks for American aircraft technology. Trump is now signaling that those restrictions are being rolled back after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The president framed the decision as a reset, saying the United States does not want to sanction friends. The move could reopen discussions over advanced weapons sales, though any full return to the F-35 program would still face political and security scrutiny.
Critics in Washington and abroad argue Turkey has not done enough to earn the reversal, pointing to its relationship with Russia, tensions with Israel and disagreements over regional policy. Supporters say keeping Ankara closer to the United States is better than pushing a NATO member further away.
The announcement makes Turkey a central test of Trump’s second-term foreign policy: reward cooperation quickly, accept friction inside alliances and use personal diplomacy to break through old disputes.
