The NATO summit in Ankara was a victory for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanks to the participation of US President Donald Trump. The latter promised to lift the sanctions that he himself imposed on Turkey during his first presidential term six years ago, reports UNN citing Reuters.
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Relations became even warmer during the two-day summit that ended on Wednesday. Trump said he was ready to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, although he later added that he had not yet made a final decision on the matter. He repeatedly expressed praise for Erdogan, with whom they exchanged smiles, laughter and hugs, communicating through interpreters
Trump, who has long said that NATO allies are not meeting their commitments, said he only attended the summit because Erdogan was the host. This in itself was a diplomatic success and an opportunity for Turkey, which seeks to increase its authority in the bloc, as well as overcome long-standing problems in relations with Washington.
Ankara had been seeking these aircraft for years, even though it did not abandon the purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems, which at the time angered the US and other NATO allies and sowed mistrust.
At the same time, Trump's promise is likely to face resistance in the US Congress, where legislation prohibits Turkey from possessing the S-400 - this will also create potential problems for Ankara in Moscow, which has end-user obligations under the purchase agreement.
Recall
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted that US President Donald Trump "positively" views the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.