ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called for the lifting of U.S. sanctions that block some of his country's defense purchases and other “unilateral” measures that hinder NATO allies from meeting long-term bilateral trade goals.
Relations between the allies have been strained in recent years over a range of issues, ranging from policy differences in the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria and Gaza to Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems, which led to US sanctions and Turkey's withdrawal from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019.
Ankara then worked on purchasing 40 Block-70 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernization kits from Washington. The deal was approved after Turkey approved Sweden's NATO candidate, which also led to a thaw in relations.
Ankara and Washington have a long-term target of $100 billion in bilateral trade, up from $30 billion in 2023.
During a visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, Erdogan told Turkish and American businessmen that while he was confident the goal was achievable, defense industry cooperation was “far short” of potential due to remaining constraints.
“Therefore, unilateral requests such as additional tariffs in the iron, steel and aluminum sectors, investigations and the CAATSA sanctions should be abolished,” he said on Monday, referring to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
“I hope that with the F-16 modernization project we have turned a new page and we expect export restrictions in this area to be permanently lifted,” Erdogan added.
He also said that Turkey was beneficial for supply chains, citing cooperation in the production and procurement of 155mm ammunition, a key projectile in the war between Ukraine and Russia, as an example.
Washington has also imposed sanctions on several Turkish individuals and companies for violating sanctions against Russia. Turkey supports Ukraine but opposes the sanctions and says they will not be circumvented on Turkish soil.
In addition to the F-16s, Turkey is also interested in the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets of Germany, Britain and Spain. However, Turkey complains about the lack of progress due to Berlin's reluctance.
On Monday, Erdogan met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in New York, his office said, adding that he had indicated that Ankara is ready to enhance cooperation in all areas and take advantage of joint opportunities that would benefit both sides.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jamie Freed)
