From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Trump says he will lift sanctions from Turkey over its purchase of Russian air defense system
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US President Donald Trump says he will lift sanctions off Turkey and make a decision on a potential sale of F-35s to Ankara as he began a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at a NATO summit.
“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off,” Trump tells reporters when asked about the measures imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
In 2020, Washington imposed CAATSA sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems. It also removed Ankara at the time from the F-35 fighter jet program, a move Turkey called unjust and illegal.
Trump said today he “will consider” restoring Turkey’s right to purchase the fighter jets, after heavy speculation that he was poised to do so. Israel has attempted to push back against the decision, in light of its deeply strained ties with Ankara.
The Times of Israel Community.