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Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense (MoND) stated on Thursday that it expects CAATSA sanctions and all overt or covert restrictions on its defense industry to be lifted, calling such measures incompatible with the spirit of the NATO alliance.
The statement was issued in response to reporters' questions during the ministry's weekly press briefing at the Ay Yildiz Joint Headquarters, following U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks regarding CAATSA sanctions at the 36th NATO summit.
"Türkiye, as a strong and effective NATO ally, continues to make significant contributions to the alliance's deterrence and common security," the ministry said. "As we have stated before, our expectation is that the CAATSA sanctions and all overt or covert restrictions on our defense industry, which are incompatible with the spirit of allyship, be lifted."
The ministry added that it welcomes the statements made by the U.S. president, emphasizing an approach that favors strengthening mutual trust and solidarity with allies over imposing restrictions.
Reporters also asked about remarks by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis opposing the possibility of Türkiye acquiring F-35 jets.
The ministry said: "Our country is in favor of preserving peace and stability in our region and addressing existing issues within the framework of constructive dialogue and good neighborly relations. In this context, we once again state that avoiding rhetoric that could increase tension would contribute positively to bilateral relations, and we once again remind that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) are not a threat to anyone who does not pose a threat to us."
The comments followed the ministry's regular weekly briefing, led by Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk, spokesperson for the MoND.
Akturk called the NATO Ankara summit "a historic meeting in which the alliance's current threats were comprehensively addressed and strategic decisions were evaluated for strengthening collective deterrence and defense capacity."
Akturk said Defense Minister Yasar Guler held bilateral meetings with counterparts from Japan, Latvia, New Zealand, Hungary and Canada during the summit, signed a Declaration of Intent on Defense Cooperation with his Canadian counterpart, and received BAE Systems' CEO.
Guler also signed an amendment to the memorandum expanding the mandate of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea) to include protection of undersea infrastructure for three countries, alongside Romania's and Bulgaria's defense ministers.
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