Türkiye's Erdoğan, US' Trump share 'strong will' to lift CAATSA sanctions: Foreign minister

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump share a "strong will" to lift sanctions imposed on Türkiye under the US' Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), said the Turkish foreign minister on Thursday, adding that both governments are taking necessary steps to resolve the issue.

Speaking to CNN Türk, Hakan Fidan said the two leaders expressed their determination during a meeting at the White House last September and instructed members of their Cabinets to work toward a solution.

"There is a strong will from both our president and President Trump" to lift the sanctions, said Fidan.

"When the two leaders met in Washington last September, they declared their political will on this issue, and we, as Cabinet ministers, were instructed to resolve it. The defense minister and I are working intensively on this."

He added that CAATSA remains the only permanent institutional hurdle in Turkish-US relations.

"Specific decisions regarding Türkiye can occasionally be taken, but institutionally, the only lasting negative issue at the moment is the CAATSA sanctions," he said.

Fidan noted that many sanctions imposed on Türkiye by other countries have been lifted over the past three to four years, arguing that most had been administrative rather than legal in nature.

Restrictions imposed by several NATO allies were gradually removed through sustained diplomatic engagement, he said, citing Canada as one of the latest examples.

"Many countries, including Canada, have now removed these restrictions. We are now looking at how to take cooperation even further," he said.

Asked whether the sanctions would soon be removed, he said ongoing efforts are progressing.

"There are certain steps that need to be taken. Work in this direction is underway, and as this is done, the public will see the results," he said.

Fidan added that progress could come in the near future but cautioned that administrative decisions and congressional procedures do not always move simultaneously.

"There is no problem in terms of political will within the administrations. The question is how the process in the US Congress will proceed," he said, referring to congressional authorization to lift the sanctions.

NEXT WEEK'S NATO SUMMIT IN TÜRKİYE, TRUMP-ERDOĞAN TIES

Fidan also welcomed confirmation that Trump will attend next week's NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara, calling it positive news for the alliance.

"This in itself is important and positive news for the NATO community," he said.

"They also added that President Trump is attending because President Erdoğan made the invitation. If President Erdoğan had not been the one inviting him, he would not have attended. This has now become a very significant strategic equation."

Given current global conflicts, shifting alliances and geopolitical challenges, Fidan said Erdoğan's international standing has become increasingly important.

"Our president's global leadership vision over the years, the network of relationships he has built, the trust he has established, the prestige he enjoys in the eyes of others, and Türkiye's current position are all extraordinarily important," he said.

Fidan said the Trump administration is reassessing its global alliances as part of a broader strategic shift, particularly in response to competition with China, which has created new opportunities for cooperation with countries such as Türkiye.

SYRIA POLICY SHIFT REMOVED MAJOR DISPUTE

On other aspects of bilateral ties, Fidan said cooperation in trade, the economy, education, technology, and people-to-people ties has steadily advanced despite periodic political tensions.

He argued that one of the largest disputes between the allies centered on Washington's Syria policy under then-President Barack Obama, starting over a decade ago.

"The change in US policy in Syria that began during the Obama administration shifted from fighting the Assad regime to fighting Daesh (ISIS) while supporting the YPG (terrorist group), creating a policy that threatened Türkiye's national security," Fidan said.

"During President Trump's second term (starting last year), this policy was officially abandoned."

He said this had eliminated one of the biggest sources of friction between the two countries.

Fidan added that Türkiye's strategic objectives largely align with Trump's policies on ending the war in Ukraine and stabilizing Syria and Iraq.

"The establishment of peace in Lebanon is also important. On the Gaza peace plan, we were able to work together to a certain extent, particularly on stopping the war. When Türkiye-US relations are strong on certain issues, they positively affect regional stability," he said.

DEFENSE COOPERATION AND F-35 PROGRAM

Last week, asked by reporters about Ankara's request for F-35 fighter jets and jet engines and whether he would bring "a big gift bag" when he comes to the NATO summit in Türkiye, Trump said he is likely to take a step that would make Türkiye "very happy."

Fidan, asked whether Trump was hinting at US approval for jet engines requested for Türkiye's domestically developed KAAN fighter aircraft, declined to speculate.

"I do not want to speak on behalf of the US regarding what President Trump may announce," he said.

Instead, he said Ankara has pursued a comprehensive effort to remove restrictions affecting bilateral defense cooperation.

"We have been working seriously to eliminate sanctions against Türkiye in general. CAATSA has its legal dimension, but we have also conducted a very systematic effort to remove sanctions in other areas.

"We are seeing the fruits of these efforts, including developments in the Halkbank case and the removal of obstacles to Türkiye's other requests, leading to a more rational relationship," he said, referring to a court case that recently ended without any administrative or judicial sanctions.

Fidan argued that there was no reasonable justification for restricting defense sales to Türkiye while Washington continues selling large quantities of weapons to non-NATO countries with fewer shared strategic interests.

"There is no perspective within the Trump administration that can explain why countries that are not NATO members and do not share as many common interests with the US can purchase enormous amounts of weapons and ammunition for commercial reasons, while Türkiye cannot," he said.

He added that lingering political attitudes against Türkiye have influenced such decisions over the years.

"There is no issue between Türkiye and the US that requires bilateral relations to be bad," Fidan said, acknowledging that while disagreements remain on regional issues, the sides can discuss them.

"When there is such a broad area of relations that benefits both sides, failing to advance it and making it a victim of identity politics or opposing ideologies is not something rational actors can justify," he added.

RETURN TO F-35 PROGRAM REQUIRES SEPARATE DECISION

On whether Türkiye's return to the F-35 fighter jet program is a realistic possibility, Fidan said the issue should be viewed in two separate parts.

"We need to make a distinction. Lifting the ban on F-35 sales, taking delivery of the aircraft we have already purchased, and acquiring additional aircraft if we choose to are one issue.

"Returning to the program as one of the manufacturing partners is a separate matter," he said.

Fidan said lifting the sales ban would be easier because it is an administrative decision.

"I think this can happen after (the lifting of sanctions under) CAATSA," he said.

However, he noted that restoring Türkiye's status as a production partner would require a new decision by the multinational F-35 consortium, whose members previously voted to suspend Türkiye from the program.

In 2019, Türkiye was suspended from the F-35 program over objections to its buying a Russian S-400 missile defense system, claiming the Russian system would endanger the fighter jets.

Türkiye has said repeatedly that there is no conflict between the two and has proposed a commission to study the issue. Türkiye also said it fulfilled its obligations on the F-35s and that its suspension broke the rules.

Ankara maintains that getting the fighter jets it paid for would strengthen not only Türkiye but also the NATO alliance, which it shares with the US.

Fidan also said that Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan are working through a new four-country mechanism aimed at strengthening regional stability and coordinating responses to common challenges.

He said the group has already met four times and could evolve into a more strategic platform as regional dynamics continue to change.