An F-16 fighter jet belonging to the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balıkesir, northwestern Türkiye, crashed shortly after takeoff on early Wednesday morning, resulting in the martyrdom of one pilot, officials confirmed.
Ismail Ustaoğlu announced the incident in a statement shared on his social media account on X. He said the aircraft went down during a mission flight.
“One of our pilots has been martyred. May Allah have mercy on our martyr, and I extend my condolences to his family. My condolences to our great nation,” Ustaoğlu said.
The crash occurred in the Naipli area of Karesi district, near the Izmir-Istanbul highway.
Following the crash, the Izmir-Istanbul highway was temporarily closed to traffic in the Naipli area as emergency teams secured the scene and began investigation and recovery operations.
Authorities have not yet released further details regarding the cause of the crash. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
