NATO member Türkiye has dispatched several military aircraft to Germany, along with roughly 2,000 troops, to take part in the Western alliance’s largest annual military exercise.
Dubbed “Steadfast Dart 2026,” the 12-day drills kicked off on Sunday and are set to continue until February 20 under the direction of NATO’s Joint Force Command.
This year’s Steadfast Dart exercises bring together about 10,000 troops from 11 NATO member states, including Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Spain. More than 1,500 ground vehicles, 30 fighter aircraft, 15 helicopters and 15 warships are also set to take part in the wide-ranging war games.
During the drills, joint training will be carried out with personnel from allied nations, with the aim of enhancing interoperability between NATO-aligned militaries. The exercises are also intended to test NATO’s rapid-reaction capabilities in the event of an unforeseen crisis in Europe.
On Saturday, the Turkish Defence Ministry announced that several military aircraft had departed from Türkiye’s north-western Çorlu province and arrived at Germany’s Wunstorf Air Base to take part in the drills.
Last month, Turkish ground forces and armoured vehicles began departing by sea from Türkiye’s Tekirdag seaport and arrived at Germany’s Emden seaport late last week, according to the ministry.
The latest deployments mark the first time Türkiye has sent such a large military force to Northern Europe, a sign of the country’s growing weight within NATO’s defence architecture.
“Such capability to deploy a large force to Northern Europe, and conduct combat operations, once again demonstrates the strength of the Turkish Armed Forces within NATO,” Defence Ministry spokesman Zeki Akturk told reporters last week.
Türkiye joined NATO in 1952, at the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It currently has the second-largest military in the 32-member alliance, after that of the U.S.
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled o...
Kyrgyzstan recorded the largest increase in women’s representation in parliament worldwide in 2025, accordin...
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washin...
Türkiye’s official anti-disinformation agency has issued a statement refuting what it described as onli...
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $119 a barrel, as conflict in the Middle East rumbled on. Meanwhile, the Turkish Military said NATO air defence systems destroyed a missile fired from Iran towards the country.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $119 a barrel, as conflict in the Middle East rumbled on. Meanwhile, the Turkish Military said NATO air defence systems destroyed a missile fired from Iran towards the country.
Kyrgyzstan recorded the largest increase in women’s representation in parliament worldwide in 2025, according to a new report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Türkiye’s official anti-disinformation agency has issued a statement refuting what it described as online “disinformation” and reiterating the strength of relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Almost 2,000 people have been evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan since conflict erupted in the Middle East.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment