Turkey and the United States are moving towards a deal that could lift US CAATSA sanctions tied to Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S‑400 system, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.
Fidan’s remarks in Doha, together with signals from the US ambassador in Ankara, suggest that both the S‑400 question and Turkey’s broader security posture are now being actively renegotiated by Trump’s administration rather than simply managed as a frozen dispute.
US sanctions were imposed by the first Trump administration in 2020 under CAATSA after Turkey bought Russian‑made S‑400 air defence batteries. This was a move Washington said risked compromising NATO technology and the F‑35 program.
Turkey was ejected from the F‑35 project and key defence entities were blacklisted, even though the S‑400s have not been activated and have remained in storage while officials quietly searched for ways to neutralise or remove them.
Fidan now says technical work with Washington is underway and that he expects this “obstacle” to be cleared soon, which would remove a major irritant in Turkey’s NATO ties.
Turkey to get F-35s?
Recent comments by US Ambassador Tom Barrack indicate Ankara may be preparing to dispose of or otherwise remove the S‑400 system within roughly four to six months. If that happens, US and regional outlets report it could reopen the door for Turkey’s phased return to the F‑35 program and ease restrictions on its defence industry.
Bilateral relations between the US and Turkey have warmed since Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency, with diplomats describing his personal rapport with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an important factor in unlocking movement on long‑stalled issues.
That thaw extends beyond jets and missiles as it touches issues such as energy diversification away from Russia and coordination over conflicts where Turkey often sits between Western and non‑Western actors, including Syria and Gaza.
Related: Turkey May Ease S-400 Rift and Revive F-35 Hopes, US Ambassador Says
