Trump Says U.S. Will Lift Turkey Sanctions but Has Not Reinstated F-35 Access

President Trump said the United States will lift sanctions on Turkey that were imposed in 2020 after Ankara purchased a Russian S-400 missile defense system. The purchase had also resulted in Turkey's removal from the F-35 fighter jet program. Trump made the statements upon arriving in Ankara for a NATO summit.

He added that he will consider allowing Turkey to buy American F-35 jets despite the earlier exclusion tied to the Russian system. The sanctions were issued after the 2020 acquisition of the S-400 missiles from Russia. Turkey had faced exclusion from the F-35 program as a direct consequence of that purchase.

In separate remarks, President Trump said Walmart informed him it will lower prices, including ground beef by almost 15 percent, to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. He urged other retailers to follow the example but provided no timeline for the changes.