Pilot dies after Nato jet crashes moments after takeoff in Turkey | EUROtoday

A pilot has been killed after an Nato F-16 fighter jet crashed moments after take-off.

The incident happened early on Wednesday morning close to a freeway in western Turkey.

The Turkish Air Force aircraft took off from the ninth Main Jet Base within the province of Balikesir at 12:56am native time (9.56pm GMT), in accordance with the nationwide defence ministry.

“Our pilot was martyred. The cause of the accident will be determined following an investigation by the crash examination team,” the ministry mentioned in a press release.

Emergency providers, together with firefighters, medical groups and safety forces, rushed to the scene of the wreckage with particles scattered close to the Istanbul-Izmir Highway, in accordance with native media.

National defence minister Yasar Guler recognized the pilot as Air Force Major Ibrahim Bolat.

“Our heroic comrade-in-arms was martyred on 25 February 2026, as a result of the crash of our F-16 aircraft,” he mentioned in a message of condolence.

Justice minister Akin Gurlek mentioned the Balikesir chief public prosecutor’s workplace had launched an official investigation into the crash.

He added that the chief public prosecutor, deputy chief public prosecutor and two public prosecutors had been on the scene of the incident, in accordance with native media.

“The cause of the crash will become clear following the technical examination by the relevant crash investigation team,” the Interior Ministry mentioned in a press release.

Vice president Cevdet Yilmaz insisted that the crash could be “meticulously examined both judicially and administratively”.

Turkey has been a member of Nato since 1952. In an replace unrelated to the incident, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned that Turkish Nato forces had been engaged in navy workouts this week.

“In the Nato Steadfast Dart 2026 Exercise, our army, together with the Bayraktar TB3 and our TCG Anadolu ship, literally wrote an epic,” he wrote in a press release on Tuesday.

“In this important exercise, the Bayraktar TB3 performed live-fire missions under the challenging weather conditions of the Baltic Sea, executed a safe landing on TCG Anadolu, and delivered one of the most striking performances that Nato has ever seen.

“Remaining airborne for 8 hours in coordination with Eurofighter fighter jets, the Bayraktar TB3 covered a total distance of 1,700 kilometers and demonstrated its superior capabilities one by one.

“I sincerely congratulate every single one of my brothers and sisters who contributed to these achievements that have brought a fresh breath to the naval aviation concept.”