U.S. President Donald Trump said he will make a “major announcement” on Syria on Thursday, though he did not disclose details.

Responding to a reporter’s question at the White House, Trump explained: “I lifted the sanctions to give them some breathing space because those sanctions were very tough, but I believe we will have a major announcement today.”

The comments come ahead of Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, where the two leaders are expected to discuss sanctions on Türkiye’s defence industry. The measures were imposed after Ankara purchased Russian S-400 missile systems in 2019, which Washington considered incompatible with NATO equipment.

Trump hinted that sanctions could soon be lifted if the talks prove successful. He praised Türkiye’s increased defence spending within NATO, saying: “They’re paying now 5% of GDP. Nobody thought that was possible … The relationship is very good. The NATO countries, I mean, with us, is the strongest it’s ever been.”

Erdoğan, who hopes for a reset in ties with Washington, is banking on his personal rapport with Trump and the U.S. president’s softer approach toward Moscow. This marks a sharp departure from former president Joe Biden’s policy of keeping Ankara at a distance over its ties to Russia. Both sides also share new common ground in Syria, where they now support the central government after years of disagreements.

Still, unresolved disputes remain. Ankara has condemned Israeli strikes in Gaza as “genocide,” a position opposed by Washington, raising uncertainty about how far cooperation can extend. Meanwhile, critics in both countries warn that Trump and Erdoğan’s increasingly personalised and transactional style of diplomacy risks overshadowing long-term strategic concerns.

Copied