Donald Trump used the Otan summit in Ankara to repeat his claim that Greenland should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark. He also said he would lift sanctions on Turkey as the alliance announced billions in arms deals.
Speaking during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said, “That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark.” He called Greenland important for the United States and repeated the false claim that Greenland is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara
Erdogan greeted Trump with an elaborate ceremony involving military officials on horseback and jets overhead emitting red, white and blue smoke. Trump said there is “a chemistry that works between us” and later added, “Sometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him.”
Trump also announced, “We’re going to be taking the sanctions off, OK?” He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were working on the sanctions issue, and he added that selling F-35s to Turkey is “something certainly we’d consider.”
Turkey and the F-35
The sanctions issue traces back to Turkey’s purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems in 2019, which led to Turkey being kicked out of the F-35 fighter jet program. Trump said Turkey has been “much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal,” while Erdogan said he hoped the United States will sell the F-35s.
Even if sanctions are lifted, United States law still blocks Turkey from buying the fighter jets while it owns the S-400s, and there is opposition among U.S. lawmakers to any return while that system remains in Turkey’s possession. Trump’s push for closer ties and possible arms sales sat alongside his territorial claim over Greenland, a clash with the alliance’s principle that its 32 members defend each other’s territory rather than threaten to seize it.
Mark Rutte and Europe
European countries and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte were working to address Trump’s longstanding complaint that European allies do not spend enough on their own defense. Benjamin Netanyahu said on that he had urged Trump not to sell the fighter jets to Turkey, warning that giving Turkey the jets would put Israel in danger and saying, “This is not a force for peace and stability” and “When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression its wake.”
The immediate question is whether Trump’s sanctions move will clear the legal obstacles that still stand between Turkey and the F-35 program. Until those rules change, the announcement at the Ankara summit opens a political door without removing the legal lock.
