Media: NATO asks Türkiye to advance F-16 deployment to Baltic mission

NATO has requested that Türkiye advance its planned deployment of F-16 fighter jets to the alliance’s Baltic Air Policing mission in 2026, asking Ankara to contribute aircraft several months earlier than originally scheduled.

Individuals familiar with the discussions told Bloomberg the proposed deployment would involve a four-month rotation in Estonia from August through December, as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation intensifies regional air defences in response to Russian airspace violations. Türkiye had already been slated to station its jets in Romania from December 2026 to March 2027, the same sources said.

Ankara has not yet determined how it will respond to the request. The last time Turkish fighter jets participated in Baltic Air Policing patrols was in early 2025, according to the same individuals, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The administration of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to host the next NATO summit in July.

Tensions in the region have been heightened by several incidents involving Russian-made drones and aircraft. In December, a Turkish F-16 shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle over the Black Sea as it neared Turkish airspace. A few days later, authorities discovered a crashed drone — believed to be of Russian origin — in the country’s northwest. These developments came amid Ankara’s growing concerns about security in the Black Sea, including attacks on ships linked to Russia.

Throughout 2025, Russia repeatedly violated the airspace of NATO member states. On September 19, Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Russian MiG-31K fighter jets — capable of carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles — entered Estonian airspace. POLITICO reported that three aircraft were involved and remained inside Estonian territory for 12 minutes.

Earlier that month, on September 8, Estonia’s military announced that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter had crossed into its airspace near Vaindloo Island.

On the night of September 10, Russia conducted another combined attack against Ukraine. During the same night, Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace, prompting Poland to scramble fighter aircraft and, for the first time, intercept and shoot down drones over its own territory. The incidents continued: on September 13, another Russian drone was detected in Romania.

Video circulating online showed that air raid sirens were activated in both Poland and Romania as a result of these incursions.

By Tamilla Hasanova