Turkey to deploy jets to Estonia, Romania under NATO air policing missions

A Turkish fighter jet flies over the town of Hassa on the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province
A Turkish fighter jet flies over the town of Hassa on the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province, Turkey January 20, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
Source: X02255

Turkey plans to deploy fighter jets to Estonia and Romania as part of NATO's enhanced air policing missions, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

Turkey plans to conduct a four-month deployment in Estonia between August and November 2026, followed by another rotation in Romania from December 2026 to March 2027, the ministry said in its weekly press briefing.

Turkey has contributed significantly to NATO’s air policing operations aimed at protecting allied airspace during peacetime, the ministry added.

It previously carried out enhanced air policing missions in Poland between July and September 2021, and in Romania between November 2023 and April 2024, the ministry added.

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The planned deployments come as NATO steps up air defences following what the alliance says are repeated Russian violations of allied airspace.

Turkey is also set to host the next NATO summit in July.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

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