President Trump announced Tuesday at a NATO summit that the United States will no longer impose sanctions on Turkey, underscoring his increasingly favorable view of the NATO ally.
During a press conference, Trump referred to Turkey as a “friend,” remarks that come amid growing discussion that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could secure access to a limited number of F-35 fighter jets. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly praised Turkey, signaling a shift in tone that elevates Ankara’s standing relative to more traditional European allies.
🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: President Trump announces the United States is REMOVING SANCTIONS off Turkey
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 7, 2026
"IT'S TIME. We don't want to sanction friends!"
"We're gonna be taking the sanctions off. OK? I don't want him to waste his time answering that question."
"We're working closely with… pic.twitter.com/fg58SKcMFP
"I can tell you, we're going to be taking the sanctions off, okay?" the president said. "I don't want him to waste his time answering that question, because we're working very closely with Marco Rubio, a very famous man, great Secretary of State, and with Scott Bessett and with Pete and everybody else. We're going to be taking the sanctions off. It's time to do that, okay?"
"We don't want to sanction friends," Trump added. "It's very simple."
While there are no sweeping, Iran- or Russia-style sanctions on Turkey, Washington has imposed targeted measures primarily as a result of Turkey’s purchase of Russian S‑400 air‑defense systems in 2017.
This surge of high praise from President Trump has raised eyebrows, given that Turkey is not a conventional Western ally and is better characterized as a pro-Islamist, increasingly authoritarian regime. Ankara supported Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel and maintained that support well into Israel’s subsequent operations in Gaza. The government has also backed jihadist and other militant terrorist factions in Syria as the country struggles with the post-Assad power vacuum. Given its assistance to Islamic terror groups, many questioned how closely Turkey’s interests actually align with those of the United States.
The end of sanctions is not expected to be a dramatic break, but it signals that the Trump administration is increasingly prepared to treat Turkey as a trusted ally.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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