President Donald Trump said he will remove the CAATSA sanctions on Turkey, according to N12. The sanctions, imposed after Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 system, blocked the sale of US fighter jets. The statement follows earlier reports that the administration was moving to lift the sanctions.
President Donald Trump said he will remove the CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions on Turkey, according to N12. The confirmation, made directly by Trump, comes after a series of signals from the administration throughout Tuesday. At 16:01 Jerusalem, the first reports emerged that Trump said he would consider selling F-35s to Turkey and described Ankara as 'more loyal than we thought.' Within minutes, the thread expanded: Trump said he would remove all restrictions on Turkey, then specifically cited the S-400 purchase and said he would lift CAATSA sanctions, adding 'We don't want sanctions on friends.' By 16:01, Trump was also reported to have told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan directly that the US will lift the sanctions, and Erdogan confirmed that the US promised five F-35 fighter jets (Abu Ali Express). The corroboration evolved from single reports to multiple newsrooms — N12, i24NEWS, and others — all converging on the same development.
As The Zioneer reported earlier today, the NYT had signaled that Trump was ready to return Turkey to the F-35 program, and Vice President JD Vance said a legal review was underway. The administration also notified Congress of a $700 million-plus jet engine sale to Turkey, as reported by The Zioneer on Friday. The removal of CAATSA sanctions would clear a path for the resumption of fighter jet sales to Ankara, a key NATO ally.
What remains open: Congressional approval is still uncertain, as some lawmakers have opposed lifting the sanctions due to Turkey's S-400 purchase and its human rights record. The exact timeline for the sanctions removal and the scope of the F-35 sale — beyond the five jets promised — have not been specified.
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