Turkey had ambitious plans to become a major force on the international aerospace market. It envisioned reequipping its air force with the F-35 and developing its own stealth fighter, an advanced trainer, helicopter and associated radars as well as engines and missiles.But today, its economy is in shambles, deliveries of F-35s are on hold and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdo-gan is accusing the U.S. of declaring economic war on his country.This low ebb in relations, coupled with an economic crisis, could potentially threaten Ankara's aerospace industry and defense capabilities.As the lira dropped precipitously, thanks to a largely self-inflicted economic crisis fueled by runaway debt and economic growth regardless of cost, U.S. President Donald Trump also signed the long-awaited National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2019. This freezes F-35 Joint Strike Fighter transfers to Turkey for at least 90 days while the Defense Department produces a report on the potential impact of Ankara's forced removal from the F-35 program.
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