Turkish Foreign Minister: Trump Advocates Repeal of CAATSA to Resolve U.S.-Turkey Disputes

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that U.S. President Donald Trump has communicated the necessity of repealing the CAATSA law during talks about the relationship between Ankara and Washington.

In an interview with Turkish broadcaster A HABER, Fidan explained that Trump views the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) as inappropriate for U.S.-Turkey relations and believes it should be revoked. He noted that the president has instructed his administration to take the necessary steps in this regard.

Fidan emphasized that the current administration shows a clear willingness to address this issue, in contrast to the previous administration under President Joe Biden, stating, "If God wills, we will resolve it as soon as possible."

It is important to note that the CAATSA law has significantly affected U.S.-Turkey relations, particularly after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Turkey in 2019 due to its acquisition of the Russian S-400 defense system. Washington requested that Turkey abandon the S-400 in favor of American Patriot systems, but Ankara refused, leading to its exclusion from the F-35 fighter jet program and sanctions against key figures in Turkey's defense industry.

Turkey has insisted that the U.S. measures are unjust and violate its sovereign rights, maintaining its stance against abandoning the S-400 despite pressure to transition to NATO defense systems.