Story Text

Central News Agency(CNA Washington, June 24, comprehensive foreign news) US President Trump, when asked today if Turkey could acquire F-35 stealth fighters, said Turkish President Erdogan would be "very happy," hinting at a possible green light. The US had kicked Turkey out of the F-35 development program seven years ago due to Turkey's purchase of Russian air defense missiles.According to Agence France-Presse, when asked if Trump would bring a "big gift" to Turkey for the annual NATO summit next month, and that Erdogan is also very eager to obtain the F-35.Trump replied, "I may have something that will make him very happy." However, he did not say whether he would arrange a state visit with Turkey during the NATO summit.The F-35 fighter jet was jointly developed by the US and NATO allies under the "Joint Strike Fighter" program. However, in 2019, after Turkey insisted on purchasing an air defense missile system from Russia, the US expelled Turkey, a NATO ally, from the F-35 development program. But US-Turkey relations later gradually warmed as Trump and Erdogan became friendly.Although Trump's answer sparked speculation, US Vice President JD Vance still added that the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey requires approval from the US Congress.Vance said, "This is actually a congressional matter, and it must also be confirmed that Turkey has complied with US law before it can obtain the F-35."According to CNBC, CEOs of several major defense contractors, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Honeywell, met with Trump at the White House today. The US government is concerned about excessive depletion of missile and ammunition stockpiles due to the war in Iran and is pressuring major defense contractors to speed up weapons production.Trump invoked the Defense Production Act earlier this month to accelerate weapons production. However, expanding the scale of weapons production is usually measured in "years" rather than "months," and the Trump administration's push for rapid production may not yield immediate results.The White House is also pressuring defense contractors to prioritize fulfilling existing contracts with the Pentagon, speed up delivery, and enhance domestic manufacturing capabilities, rather than using funds for shareholder returns first.In addition, an important Senate committee passed a bill last week to legislate Trump's January executive order requiring defense contractors to obtain Pentagon approval before implementing stock buybacks or issuing dividends in the future. Defense contractors have generally opposed this. (Compiled by Chen Yi-wei) 06/25/2015Stand with facts, your every donation is a force to protect press freedomDownload the CNA "One-Stop News" APP for real-time updatesThe text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.