President Donald Trump Says US Will Lift Sanctions On Türkiye, Calls It 'Time To Do That' | Video

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States would remove sanctions on Türkiye, stating that Washington does not want to impose punitive measures on its allies.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said his administration was working closely on the issue with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials.

"I can tell you, we're going to be taking the sanctions off, okay?... We're going to be taking the sanctions off. It's time to do that. We don't want to sanction friends," Trump said.

He added that while the US has many options when it comes to imposing sanctions, allies should not be among those targeted.

"It's very simple. There's plenty of people we can sanction... We don't want to sanction friends," he said.

Trump also praised Türkiye's role in regional diplomacy and highlighted his relationship with the country's president while discussing developments in neighbouring Syria.

The US president said Washington had developed a strong relationship with Syria's new leader, crediting him with stabilising the country after years of conflict.

"Because of the President, we have a very good relationship with the new leader of Syria, and he's done an amazing job. In a year and a half, he's pulled the whole country together," Trump said.

He also revealed that he and the Turkish president had supported the Syrian leader's rise to power despite initial concerns over his background.

"Somebody said, 'Well, he's pretty rough to put him there.' I approved him along with the President. We were the two that really wanted him, and he's done a great job," Trump said.

Describing the task of rebuilding Syria as difficult, Trump reiterated his confidence in the country's leadership, saying the Syrian president had succeeded in uniting the nation under challenging circumstances.