Until now Erdogan's Turkey has assumed that Trump is sympathetic to Ankara despite "misguided underlings." This is no longer the case after Trump, as well as VP Pence, threatened Ankara with sanctions if illegally imprisoned American pastor Andrew Branson is not immediately released. What could these sanctions be? First, the US could fine state-owned Halkbank billions of $ for evading US sanctions on Iran. Secondly, Trump and the US Congress, could delay/stop delivery of the F-35. Finally, and most seriously, the US could block urgently needed loans to Turkey from the IMF and the World Bank, which will put the country into a tailspin economically.