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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday that Türkiye and the United States are moving closer to resolving longstanding disputes over CAATSA sanctions and the F-35 fighter jet program, expressing confidence that negotiations will soon produce results.
Fidan told state broadcaster TRT in a live broadcast that both Ankara and Washington oppose sanctions between NATO allies and stressed that the remaining obstacles are largely legal rather than political.
"We have never wanted sanctions among allies," Fidan said. "As long as this political will exists on both sides, we as ministries are taking the necessary steps to resolve these issues. Hopefully, we will reach a result soon."
Fidan's comments followed U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks during the NATO summit in Ankara earlier this week, where Trump announced that Washington would remove CAATSA sanctions on Türkiye and said his administration would decide on a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Türkiye in 2020 over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system and removed Ankara from the multinational F-35 program.
Fidan said Ankara has already settled many sanctions-related issues with European countries and has also made progress with Washington on matters that can be addressed through executive action.
According to the foreign minister, the remaining issues are those enshrined in U.S. law, namely CAATSA and the F-35 program.
"These should not be political or administrative decisions," Fidan said. "Political leadership and Congress — and in our case, parliament — should not play an obstructive role among allies."
Fidan also pointed to progress on another key defense issue involving Türkiye's indigenous KAAN fighter jet, noting that the U.S. congressional review period for the proposed export of General Electric F110-GE-129 engines had expired without objections.
"The legal notification period in Congress regarding the F-110 engines expired as of yesterday," he said, adding that Ankara expects no adverse outcome from the process.
The proposed sale would provide F110 engines for KAAN's early production and flight-testing phase while Türkiye continues developing its domestically produced TF35000 engine. Under U.S. arms export procedures, Congress has a set period to block major foreign military sales.
Since no resolution of disapproval was adopted before the deadline, the transaction can proceed. The package, valued at more than $700 million, was formally notified to Congress in late June.
Fidan said Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also devoted a significant part of their meeting to regional developments, discussing the situations in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, ongoing negotiations with Iran, and the war in Ukraine.
"Both leaders renewed their determination to advance relations between the United States and Türkiye in every field," Fidan said. "The will to remove and resolve the existing problems was also renewed. As ministers, a great deal of responsibility falls on us to find appropriate solutions."
On Iran, Fidan indicated that Türkiye remains closely engaged in diplomatic efforts following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, stressing that dialogue remains essential to preventing further escalation in the region. He also underscored the importance of maintaining stability in Lebanon and Syria, where Ankara and Washington continue to have overlapping security interests.
Turning to Ukraine, Fidan said he will travel to Ukraine in the near future as part of Türkiye's ongoing diplomatic efforts after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials last month. He said the visit will allow Ankara to engage both sides as it continues working to support negotiations
Fidan warned that the conflict is becoming increasingly dangerous, saying attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea are intensifying.
"The war is gradually expanding — geographically, in its targets and in the methods being used. God forbid, it could escalate even further," he said. Fidan also highlighted that Türkiye's ability to maintain dialogue with both Russia and Ukraine gives Ankara a unique role in supporting future negotiations.
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