United States President Donald Trump has announced that his administration will lift sanctions imposed on Turkey, signalling a significant shift in Washington’s approach towards one of its key NATO allies.
Speaking during a public engagement, Trump said the time had come to end punitive measures against Ankara, stressing that the United States should not continue sanctioning countries it considers friends and strategic partners.
“It’s time. We don’t want to sanction friends,” Trump said.
The US president added that his administration had already begun the process of removing the sanctions, dismissing further questions on the matter and suggesting the decision had effectively been settled.
“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off. OK? I don’t want him to waste his time answering that question,” Trump stated.
Trump also revealed that senior members of his administration were coordinating efforts to implement the policy change, naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth among those overseeing the process.
“We’re working closely with Rubio, Bessent, Hegseth — it’s time,” he said.
The move is expected to mark a new chapter in US–Turkey relations, which have faced years of diplomatic strain over security concerns, regional conflicts and defence procurement disputes. Analysts say lifting the sanctions could pave the way for deeper strategic cooperation between the two NATO allies, while easing long-standing tensions that have affected defence and economic ties.
No detailed timeline for the removal of the sanctions was immediately announced, but Trump’s remarks indicate that the administration intends to proceed with the policy in the near future.
