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.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran see...
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces an early test of his climate commitments as his government weighs whether to approve two major North Sea oil and ...
Iran will host senior officials from the five Caspian Sea littoral states at a conference in Tehran on 23 September, aimed at strengthening regional c...
One hundred years after the First World War and more than eighty years after the devastation of the Second World War gave rise to the United Nations, humanity once again finds itself living in an age of permanent crisis.
For months, efforts to secure the Red Sea have focused on what is happening in the water. Naval deployments have increased, governments have expanded maritime cooperation and shipping companies have adapted to persistent security threats.
Flights arriving at Catania airport in eastern Sicily were suspended after volcanic ash from a new eruption of Mount Etna drifted into the airspace around the airport, disrupting operations at one of Italy’s busiest aviation hubs.
Greenland has issued a “strong warning” to a U.S. oil company linked to President Donald Trump after drilling equipment was brought ashore without the required government approvals, according to British media.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
Iran will host senior officials from the five Caspian Sea littoral states at a conference in Tehran on 23 September, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and addressing environmental challenges facing the sea.
Afghanistan and Turkmenistan signed a gas-purchase memorandum for the TAPI pipeline in Herat on Monday, as the two sides pushed for agreement on pricing and faster progress on the regional energy project.
As Russian officials praise Georgia’s “pragmatic” approach towards Moscow, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has explained why he will not describe Russia as an “enemy”.
Kazakhstan has begun building the Beineu-Saksaulsk highway, a new Middle Corridor link expected to shorten freight journeys between China and Europe by around 1,000 kilometres and reduce delivery times by up to three days.
Russia has welcomed what it describes as a shift in Georgia’s approach to the August 2008 war, praising statements that place responsibility for the conflict on former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his government.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment