Trump Lifts Turkey Sanctions and Pardons Eleven for Emissions Violations

President Trump said Tuesday that the United States will lift sanctions on Turkey that were imposed after Ankara purchased a Russian S-400 missile defense system. The sanctions were issued under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and contributed to Turkey’s removal from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019.

Trump made the remarks during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara, where the NATO summit is being held.

Erdogan greeted Trump with a ceremony that included cannons, military officials on horseback, and jets emitting red, white, and blue smoke. Trump said, “Sometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him,” and praised Turkey for its loyalty to the United States during the war in Iran. Earlier the same day, NATO announced several defense procurement deals.

Swedish manufacturer Saab will supply up to 10 GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to a 10-nation consortium. Representatives from 15 nations said they would buy air-to-air refueling and transport planes from Airbus, and four countries agreed to purchase as many as five new Triton surveillance drones.

Separately, the White House said President Trump pardoned 11 individuals previously convicted or facing conviction for modifying vehicles in violation of emissions standards under regulations from the previous administration.

The recipients are Joshua Davis, Matt Geouge, Jonathan Achtemeier, Tim Clancy, Barry Pierce, Aaron Rudolf, Adam Kidan, Mackenzie Spurlock, and Jack Harvard.