Turkey seeking US sanctions relief, warmer ties in Washington visit

By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Humeyra Pamuk

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will ask U.S. officials in Washington this week to remove U.S. sanctions on Turkey and let the country back into a crucial fighter-jet program as Ankara seeks a warming of ties with Washington under the administration of President Donald Trump.

Fidan is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday, days after a phone call between Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that a top Trump aide described as "transformational".

The top Turkish diplomat's visit also comes at a critical time for Erdogan, after his main political rival and Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was jailed pending trial on Sunday, prompting the largest anti-government protests in over a decade following a months-long legal crackdown on the opposition.

Ties between the U.S. and Turkey have drifted away from a strategic partnership in recent years as disagreements between the two long-standing treaty allies have widened.

The administration of former President Joe Biden kept Turkey at arm's length over what it saw as the fellow NATO member's close ties with Russia. Under Trump, who views Moscow much more favorably, Ankara is hoping for a warmer relationship with Washington. It also plans to capitalize on the personal ties between the two leaders.

During his meetings the top Turkish diplomat will "emphasise the importance of discussing beginning work to lift CAATSA sanctions and a process of Turkey's return to the F-35 program," a Turkish diplomatic source speaking on the condition of anonymity said.

Trump had initially ignored advice from his aides that he impose sanctions on Turkey under its Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) over Ankara's acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence missile systems in 2019. He then took the step in 2020.

That acquisition also led to Turkey's removal from the F-35 jet program, where it was a manufacturer and buyer. Ankara says its removal is unjust and illegal, and has demanded to rejoin or be reimbursed for its investment in the program.

Conversations between the allies on how to resolve the S-400 deadlock were ongoing under Biden. Turkey had pledged to keep the systems non-operational, a source familiar with the discussions said, but a breakthrough never came.

RUSSIA IMPACT

During the Biden era, the allies had settled into a new phase of relations, with a more transactional focus rather than based on shared values, as differences over policies on Syria, the war in Gaza, and judicial matters persisted.

Since coming back into office on January 20, Trump upended Biden's policy to isolate Moscow and provide unwavering support to Kyiv and instead focused on ending Russia's war in Ukraine. His shift spooked European leaders who feared Washington could be turning its back to Europe and bolstered Ankara's role as a potential partner in reshaping European security.

A Turkish official, requesting anonymity, told Reuters that discussions between Washington and Ankara had "taken a new dimension" after Trump's shift in approach to Moscow.

"If U.S. sanctions on Russia are to be lifted, it becomes illogical for CAATSA to be implemented on third countries. As much as this issue is about Turkey-USA ties, it is also about Turkey-Russia ties," the official added.

Sources familiar with the matter said the phone call between Erdogan and Trump may bring positive momentum to conversations in coming days, though no promises were made.

"The president had a great conversation with Erdogan a couple of days ago. Really transformational, I would describe it," Trump's special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said in an interview with right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson.

Exclusion from the F-35 program pushed Turkey to purchase 40 Lockheed Martin Block-70 F-16 fighter jets. However, despite agreeing on the procurement, there has been little progress on the acquisition for months.

The Turkish source said Fidan would also discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, latest developments in Syria, and the situation in Gaza during his visit.