President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that the US would lift sanctions on Turkiye that were imposed in 2020 over Ankara’s purchase of Russian defence missiles, and signalled a willingness to sell the NATO ally F-35 fighter jets, moves that would both be massive gestures to Turkiye ​but may face legal hurdles.

In the first visit to Turkiye by a US president in 11 years, Trump was welcomed by President Tayyip Erdogan at the airport ‌with a lavish state ceremony during which Turkish soldiers riding horses escorted Trump’s motorcade to the presidential palace. Both leaders sang each other’s praises in their public remarks. Under Trump, Turkiye’s deteriorating human rights track record has never been a topic of much concern for Washington.

Speaking to reporters at the Turkish presidential palace, Trump repeatedly praised Erdogan, saying he had “chemistry” with him and that the relationship with Ankara has never ​been better. The warmth was a near sea change in the relationship, which was distant under former President Joe Biden.

Despite the better ties, Turkiye’s 2019 acquisition of a Russian S-400 ​system and Washington’s 2020 imposition of US sanctions on a major Turkish defence company and removal of Turkiye from the F-35 stealth ⁠fighter jet program have long been a sore point. Solving those issues would eliminate a key irritant in the relationship, but it is unlikely to materialise quickly.

“We’re going to be ​taking the sanctions off,” Trump told reporters just before he met with Erdogan during a visit to Turkiye for a NATO summit. “It’s time. We don’t want to sanction friends,” he ​said, adding that his secretary of state and Treasury secretary were working on the issue.

When asked if he had any concerns about Ankara still being in possession of the Russian S-400s, he said he did not. “I have no concerns about anything having to do with Turkiye,” he said. “I would say the relationship with Turkiye right now is probably better than it’s ever been.”

‘Much more loyal’

Trump also indicated his ​possible support for letting Turkiye buy F-35 stealth fighter jets, even as he did not say how exactly such a transaction would take place, given legal hurdles and objections from the US Congress.

“Turkiye has ​been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal. … It’s a great plane, it’s the best, currently the best plane by far. And it’s certainly something ‌we will consider,” ⁠Trump said.

Erdogan also said he hoped for a positive result on Ankara’s desire to buy F-35 fighter jets. “We have discussed this before with the US and were promised five jets,” Erdogan said, adding, “I know that Mr Trump always keeps his promises.”

Congress passed a law prohibiting any F-35 sales to Turkiye as long as it retained the S-400s, saying the Russian system posed a security risk to US-made combat aircraft. Currently, US law does not permit Turkiye to operate or possess the S-400 system if it wishes to rejoin the F-35 program.

Earlier, two ​sources familiar with the matter told Reuters ​that Trump was expected to throw ⁠his support behind a potential F-35 sale to Turkiye. One solution that has in recent weeks gained traction is to send the Russian system to a third country, although an agreement on this has yet to be sealed, according to the sources, who requested anonymity ​to discuss sensitive matters.

It was unclear if such a move would be accepted by Russia, which requires end-user obligations in weapons ​sales.

NATO allies increasingly see ⁠Turkiye, which has the alliance’s second-largest military and is a leading exporter of armed drones, as a bulwark against Russian aggression on

As Trump has ratcheted up his criticism of NATO over what he describes as the pact’s refusal to help with the Iran war, members are unlikely to criticise Turkiye’s declining ⁠democracy and ​rule of law, particularly after the Republican president said he may not have attended the NATO summit ​at all if it hadn’t been Erdogan who invited him.

Turkiye has seen an unprecedented legal crackdown on the country’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, including the jailing of its presidential candidate, Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main rival.