US President Donald Trump has said he is moving to lift US sanctions imposed on Turkey during his first term.
Speaking to reporters at a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday (July 7), part of the NATO summit, Trump said: “We’re lifting the sanctions, OK? Now is the time to do it. We don’t want to sanction friends. It’s very simple.”
As Trump’s remarks were translated into Turkish, the typically reserved Erdogan gave Trump a smiling thumbs-up.
The sanctions on Turkey were imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). After Turkey decided to purchase Russia’s S-400 air defense system, it was placed on a list alongside US adversaries such as North Korea and Iran.
Turkey was also excluded from the United States’ advanced F-35 fighter jet program over concerns that sensitive technical information could leak to Russia.
Trump also said in Ankara that his administration is considering reinstating Turkey in the F-35 program.
Alper Coskun, a former Turkish diplomat affiliated with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, called Trump’s announcement “good news for Ankara.”
He said it carries an important political message from the highest level. While the administration has signaled a similar position for some time, this suggests Trump wants to move forward by discussing the matter with Congress.
According to Coskun, in exchange, Turkey would need to move toward fully abandoning the S-400 defense system.
Since CAATSA is a federal law, Congress’s role is important in lifting the sanctions. However, the Trump administration could argue that the conditions that led to the sanctions no longer exist, potentially opening room for a new interpretation of their application.
The president could also use his authority to grant a special waiver. It remains unclear whether he will take that route or proceed with the cooperation of the Republican-controlled Congress.
The report noted that Democrats could take control of both chambers of Congress after the midterm elections this November.
While Trump has criticized leaders of several Western European countries, he described Turkey as a “trusted” NATO ally.
He criticized the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Spain as weak on defense and immigration policy. He also referenced Denmark’s stance on Greenland and his ongoing dispute with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Trump alleged he has been unhappy with Western countries since March for not joining his campaign against Iran.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report