WATCH: Trump says in Erdogan meeting that U.S. will lift Turkey sanctions, consider selling F-35s

By — Lorne Cook, Associated Press Lorne Cook, Associated Press By — Suzan Fraser, Associated Press Suzan Fraser, Associated Press By — Abby Sewell, Associated Press Abby Sewell, Associated Press By — Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-trump-says-in-erdogan-meeting-that-u-s-will-lift-turkey-sanctions-consider-selling-f-35s Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: Trump says in Erdogan meeting that U.S. will lift Turkey sanctions, consider selling F-35s World Jul 7, 2026 11:03 AM EDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. will lift sanctions on Turkey that were issued after Ankara purchased a Russian missile defense system that led to the country being kicked out of the F-35 fighter jet program. Watch Trump's meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the video player above. There are still a number of legal hurdles before Turkey could be fully admitted back to the U.S. program, but the removal of the sanctions — issued under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act — would help ease the process for Ankara to regain access to the F-35s, a top goal of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and one that Trump has predicted for some time would occur. READ MORE: NATO chief demands allies present credible plans to reach defense spending targets "We're going to be taking the sanctions off, OK?" Trump said in response to a question during a meeting with Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara. He said Cabinet officials were working on the matter. Earlier in the meeting, he said the possibility of selling the F-35s to Turkey is "certainly something we will consider." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Trump and Erdogan repeatedly underscored their warm relationship as they met soon after the U.S. president arrived in Ankara for the NATO summit. Erdogan greeted the U.S. president with an elaborate welcome ceremony involving cannons, military officials on horseback and jets flying overhead emitting red, white and blue smoke. "Sometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him," Trump said, gesturing to Erdogan. The U.S. president repeatedly praised Turkey for its loyalty to the U.S., particularly during the war in Iran. READ MORE: Canada selects German company to build submarine fleet as it boosts NATO spending Trump, who has often upended NATO gatherings with complaints that European allies did not spend enough on defense, had said he would not have attended this year's summit had it not been for his close ties with Erdogan. 'Moment of great pride' Earlier in the day, NATO showcased a series of military projects worth billions of dollars — an investment that the alliance's secretary-general, Mark Rutte, called "money well spent." An energized Rutte