Trump Reportedly Weighing End to Sanctions on Turkey, F-35 Sales Back on the Table

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the removal of key sanctions on Turkey — a move that could signal a reset in defense relations and potentially bring Ankara back into the fold of American arms sales, including F-35 fighter jet programs.

The shift follows a recent phone call between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdoğan is said to have pressed for stronger defense cooperation and urged Trump to roll back the CAATSA sanctions — penalties imposed in 2020 after Turkey’s controversial purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system.

That deal with Moscow infuriated Washington and NATO allies, who argued that the presence of Russian-made systems within a NATO military framework posed serious intelligence and security risks. The U.S. response was swift: Turkey was booted from the F-35 program and slapped with CAATSA sanctions targeting its defense procurement agency.

But now,behind closed doors, both sides are reportedly exploring technical and political solutions to the S-400 dilemma — including ideas like deactivating the system, partially dismantling it, or relocating it to a base under U.S. control in Turkey. These steps, if taken, could help pave the way for lifting sanctions without undermining NATO’s defense posture.

Legally speaking, a U.S. president can waive CAATSA sanctions if doing so is in the national interest — a process that requires only a notification to Congress. However, selling F-35s to Turkey again would go beyond executive authority. It would need sign-off from both the House and Senate Foreign Affairs Committees — a high bar, especially given the deep skepticism in Congress toward Erdoğan’s government.

That skepticism is shared by key U.S. allies in the region. Greece, in particular, has been vocal about maintaining a military balance in the Aegean, while Israel has its own strategic reservations about any shift in U.S.-Turkey defense cooperation.

As of now, no final decision has been made.. But the mere prospect of lifting CAATSA sanctions and reviving Turkey’s access to U.S. fighter jets is already stirring debate in Washington, Brussels, and beyond.