Beleaguered Boeing could find itself as collateral damage in an escalating war of words between the United States and Turkey.
Turkish Airlines, the 49% state-owned flag carrier of Turkey, has orders for 100 Boeing aircraft on the book. That includes 25 787-9 jets and 75 737 MAX jets. Both are scheduled for full delivery by 2023, though the 737 MAX woes have led to a missed deadline on five aircraft this year.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said:
I’ve told Mr. Trump in Osaka that even if Turkey’s not buying Patriots, it’s buying Boeings. We’re good customers. But if it goes on like this, we’ll have to rethink about this issue.
Erdogan is referring to Patriot missiles and Turkey’s recent decision to order a S-400 missile defense system from Russia rather than the United States. That decision roiled the USA and other NATO members, who viewed it as a betrayal from a fellow member. President Trump has vocally condemned the Turkish purchase on several occasions, heightening tensions.
Credible Threat?
On the one hand, Erdogan’s statement could be dismissed as a hollow threat…it’s not so easy to backfill 100 aircraft, even with up to four years of leadtime. It’s not like Turkey is going to buy Tupolev commercial aircraft to complement its missile defense system.
On the other hand, though, 3/4 of Turkey’s open order with Boeing is already in jeopardy simply by being 737 MAX aircraft. Cancelling the bulk of an order that may never be delivered anyway would make a statement. And Turkey would not be the first nation to place national pride above other political and economic goals. But even this seems far-fetched, especially because Turkey stands to collect damages from Boeing’s delivery delay, which may be mitigated if it cancels its orders now.
CONCLUSION
Words are a powerful sword. Perhaps Erdogan and Trump will merely engage in a rhetorical war of words. But Boeing cannot be comfortable in its position as a pawn in this ongoing diplomatic tiff.
Both the 737 and the 787 have very viable alternatives from Airbus, albeit with slower delivery slots. So it would simply mean slowing TK’s expansion / aircraft replacement schedule, perhaps no bad thing as it could well coincide with the next recession.
Stupid Trump supporters will eventually realize that hitching their wagon to an extremely aggressive ignorant idiot that is attacking as many people/ demographics/ nations his fat orange mouth can handle… will end badly. Very badly.
What a shame for a country that was always great… ironically… now? Mmmm
What does that have to do with illegal immigration and toxic legal immigration because that is what we are concerned about. Not matter what Trump does or says he will always have our support because he is the only one with substance and reason on the illegal immigration issue and border security.
With that said Turkey has been a thorn in the side of the western world for 500 years. I am glad Turkey’s leadership means it will not be joining the EU for the foreseeable future. Turkey can take its Boeing orders and shove it. I’d like to see sanctions on turkey for its incursions into Syria and continual occupation of Cyprus.
The first white people to reach the USA were illegal immigrants. The subsequent white people were also claimed to be toxic. Eg, see how each successive set of people who moved to the USA were discriminated against by the previous toxic immigrants.
You clowns dont even know your own history.
PS. by your standards shouldnt Melania also be a toxic migrant? Or shes allowed because shes boinking the Coward in Chief?
The problem is that these guys are just too similar.
I’ve never understood why Turkish have the fleet diversity they do particularly for short haul. Surely the inflexibility of tooling up to maintain both the 737 and A320 outweigh any savings they may make by being able to tweak capacity so finely.
“Words are a powerful sword.”
Yes, just like those between Trump and Kim.
Turkey’s EU accession dreams are in disarray, given their authoritarian government. Trading Boeing for Airbus would also be appreciated in the capitals of European powers, like France, that get to decide whether or not Turkey is put back on the path towards European integration…
Turkey has less than no chance of joining the EU because ultimately the Austrians will veto it. Even if they did not then at the current rate of talks, accession would happen around the year 3000.