Trump's CAATSA statement at the NATO Summit in Ankara: 'We do not want to impose sanctions on our friends'

US President Donald Trump, who is in Ankara for the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex. The two leaders held talks on a series of important topics focusing on defense, trade, and regional cooperation, as well as bilateral relations between the two countries.

Speaking during the visit, Trump stated that his relationship with Erdoğan has progressed on a strong foundation from the beginning, saying, "Our chemistry with Erdoğan has been very good from the very start. Our trade with Turkey is intense; we are doing very good business, and we will do even better. I can say that our relations with Turkey are better than they have ever been. We know what a great country Turkey is. Today, we will discuss trade, defense, Iran, and many other issues. We will address the F-35 issue."

Responding to a question regarding the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, Trump emphasized that Ankara is a loyal ally, stating, "We have a good relationship with Turkey; they have remained loyal on some issues. This is undoubtedly a detail we will take into consideration."

GREEN LIGHT FOR SANCTIONS

The US President also gave positive signals regarding expectations for the lifting of CAATSA sanctions against Turkey. Trump stated, "The time has come; we do not want to impose sanctions on our friends."

DYNAMICS OF THE HISTORIC SUMMIT

Touching upon the importance of the NATO Summit being held in Ankara, Trump said, "(The NATO Summit) Frankly, if it hadn't been held in Turkey and if a very strong leader, a very strong person who is my friend, hadn't been here, I probably wouldn't have attended."

HOPE FOR RETURN TO THE F-35 PROGRAM

In his assessment of the F-35 program, President Erdoğan said: "The F-35 issue is not a new topic for us. We have discussed this with the US before, and we received a promise for 5 aircraft. I know that in the meeting we will have now, we are testing the promise we received from them regarding the F-35 in a positive way for the future. Mr. Trump always stands behind his word. Hopefully, a favorable decision will emerge from the summit regarding the F-35."

Erdoğan also stated that they would revisit the possibilities of cooperation with the US side regarding the engine supply for the KAAN fighter jet, one of the prominent projects of the Turkish defense industry, and that they expect Trump to share new good news in this area.

The two leaders' talks covered not only bilateral relations but also hot topics on the international agenda, such as the future of NATO, collective defense spending, the Russia-Ukraine war, humanitarian crises in the Middle East, and Gaza. Also drawing attention are the official dinner to be held in Ankara and the separate meetings Trump will hold on the second day of the summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian Transitional President Ahmed Shara.

News Source: 12punto