Turkiye seeks partners for TF-X fighter program amid fiscal uncertainty

The first aircraft of Turkiye’s indigenous fighter program, the TF-X, sits in a hangar ahead of its maiden flight at the end of the year. But fiscal problems could stand in the way of its success, according to an analyst, even as the country’s President seeks partners for the program, Defence News reports.

According to the report, Turkish Defence Minister, Yasar Guler said 14 August, Pakistan was about to sign an agreement to participate in the development of the fifth-generation fighter. 

The Turkish economy is experiencing high inflation, and the country’s external debt reached nearly $476 billion in March. 

“Friendly and brotherly countries are also making efforts to become partners in this project. An agreement was signed with Azerbaijan. There are other countries that are also about to sign, like Pakistan,” Guler said.

“Inevitably, the TF-X program will face financial difficulties in line with the country’s economic situation,” Ozgur Eksi, a defence analyst in Ankara, told Defence News.

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