Turkish F-16 crashes near highway in western Türkiye, pilot killed

A F-16 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force crashed near a highway in western Türkiye early on Wednesday (25 February), killing its pilot, officials and media reports confirmed.

The jet lost radio and radar contact shortly after midnight following take-off from the 9th Main Jet Base in Balıkesir province, the Ministry of Defence said. Search and rescue operations were immediately launched, and the wreckage was soon located. The pilot, Major İbrahim Bolat, was confirmed killed.

“The aircraft lost contact at 00:56 and the wreckage has been located. Our heroic pilot has been martyred,” the ministry said, adding that an investigation would be conducted by an accident inquiry team.

The jet came down near the Istanbul-Izmir highway, scattering debris over a wide area, Hurriyet newspaper reported. Security forces, firefighters, and medical teams were dispatched to the scene. Traffic on the section of the highway near Karesi district’s Naipli area was temporarily closed while authorities worked at the site.

Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu visited the scene, confirming the crash occurred shortly after take-off and offering condolences.

“One of our pilots has been martyred. May God have mercy on our hero and bring patience to his family and our nation,” he said.

The Minister of Justice, Akın Gürlek, confirmed that the Balıkesir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had opened an investigation. The ministry noted that the crash site had been examined by prosecutors, and accident inquiry teams were on site to determine the cause.

Minister of Defence Yaşar Güler paid tribute to Major Bolat, stating: “Our heroic comrade, Air Pilot Major İbrahim Bolat, was martyred as a result of the F-16 crash on 25 February 2026. May God have mercy on our hero; we extend condolences to his family and our Turkish Armed Forces. Our nation mourns him.”

Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, also offered his condolences to the pilot’s family and the nation, describing Major Bolat as a “heroic pilot.”

The Ministry of Interior said the incident was being closely monitored in coordination with all relevant agencies.

“The cause of the accident will be clarified following a technical investigation by the relevant crash inquiry team. We express our condolences to the family of our heroic pilot, to our armed forces, and to our nation,” the ministry said.

At this stage, no details have been released regarding the cause of the crash.

Copied