Erdogan and Trump determined to lift CAATSA sanctions (Fidan)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump shared a “firm desire” to lift sanctions imposed on Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries with Sanctions Act (CAATSA), noting that the two leaders had asked their cabinets to resolve the issue following a meeting at the White House last September. Speaking to CNN Turk, Fidan said he and the defense minister were working intensively to eliminate the measures, which he described as the only permanent institutional obstacle remaining in Turkish-US relations. “There is a strong desire on the part of our president and President Trump” to lift sanctions, he said, adding that most restrictions imposed by NATO allies over the past three or four years have already been removed through diplomatic engagement, with Canada being one of the latest examples.

Fidan said ongoing efforts with Washington are moving forward through necessary administrative actions, while cautioning that congressional authorization does not always move forward simultaneously with executive decisions. “Some steps need to be taken. Work in this direction is underway, and as this is done, the public will see the results,” he said, noting that there is no lack of political will within both administrations. “There is no problem in terms of political will within administrations. The question is how the process will unfold in the US Congress,” he added, referring to legislative requirements for the permanent lifting of sanctions.

NATO Summit and Defense Cooperation

Fidan welcomed the confirmation of Trump’s participation in next week’s NATO summit in Ankara, calling the US president’s presence “important and positive news for the NATO community” and noting that Trump accepted specifically because Erdogan extended the invitation. “If President Erdogan had not invited him, he would not have come. This has now become a very important strategic equation,” he said, adding that Erdogan’s international position and the trust he has established have become extremely important amid shifting global alliances and the Trump administration’s reassessment of its strategic stance toward China. Last week, Trump hinted he might bring a “big gift bag” regarding Turkey’s demands for F-35 fighter jets and jet engines for its KAAN aircraft when he visits for the summit.

Fidan declined to speculate on specific announcements but stressed that Ankara has continued a comprehensive effort to remove restrictions affecting bilateral defense cooperation, citing the recent conclusion of the Halkbank case without administrative or judicial sanctions as evidence of progress. “There is no perspective within the Trump administration that can explain why countries that are not NATO members and do not share as many common interests with the United States can purchase enormous quantities of arms and ammunition for commercial reasons, while Turkey cannot,” he said, distinguishing between lifting the sales ban – an administrative decision that could follow CAATSA relief – and restoring Turkey’s status as an F-35 production partner, which would require a new vote by the multinational consortium. He noted that Ankara maintains that there is no technical conflict between the Russian S-400 system and the F-35 jets, and that receiving planes already paid for would strengthen NATO.

Regional alignment and Syrian politics

Fidan said the Trump administration’s decision to abandon the previous US policy of supporting the YPG terrorist group in Syria – initiated during the Obama administration – removed one of the biggest sources of friction between the allies. He added that Ankara’s strategic goals largely align with Washington’s policies aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and stabilizing Syria and Iraq, noting that cooperation on the Gaza peace plan has also progressed to some extent, creating a broader basis for bilateral relations beyond transactional defense issues.

The foreign minister also revealed that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan are working under a new four-country mechanism that has already met four times to coordinate responses to common challenges and strengthen regional stability. He said the platform could evolve into a more strategic framework as regional dynamics continue to change, reflecting Ankara’s broader diplomatic initiatives beyond its traditional Western alliances.