Trump pledges to lift US sanctions on Turkey

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he intends to remove sanctions imposed on Turkey under American law enacted in 2017. The sanctions regime allows Washington to penalise countries that purchase significant military equipment from Russia, Iran or North Korea. Trump stated: “I will not impose sanctions on allies.”

Turkey has faced US sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, which Washington has long opposed as incompatible with NATO interoperability standards. The Turkish acquisition of the Russian weapons system created considerable friction between Ankara and Washington, particularly during the Trump administration’s first term.

Trump’s statement represents a significant shift in approach towards one of America’s longest-standing NATO allies. The decision signals his administration’s prioritisation of maintaining relationships with key partners in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East regions, despite disagreements over specific military procurements.

Source: Walla News — Original article in Hebrew.