Turkey to deploy jets to guard Russia-exposed allies as NATO faces perilous times

Turkey plans to deploy fighter aircraft to Estonia and Romania between 2026 and 2027 as part of NATO’s reinforced air policing missions, the country’s Ministry of National Defence said on Thursday, 15 January.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing, ministry officials confirmed that the Turkish Air Force will take part in scheduled rotations aimed at safeguarding allied airspace during peacetime.

According to the announcement, Turkish fighter jets will be deployed to Estonia for a four-month period starting in August 2026. This will be followed by another rotation in Romania from December 2026 through 2027.

Turkey has been a long-standing contributor to NATO’s air policing efforts, the ministry stressed, noting that the missions are designed to ensure the security of allied airspace and deter potential violations in times of peace.

Ankara previously participated in NATO’s reinforced air policing missions in Poland between July and September 2021, and in Romania from November 2023 to April 2024.

The upcoming deployments come as NATO steps up its air defence posture in response to an increase in airspace violations attributed to Russia, according to the alliance.

NATO has asked Turkey to contribute F-16 fighter jets to the Baltic Air Policing mission in 2026, several months earlier than initially planned, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

The proposed four-month rotation in Estonia, running from August to December 2026, would precede Turkey’s already scheduled deployment in Romania from December 2026 to March 2027, the report said.

Ankara has yet to decide how it will respond to the request. Turkish fighter jets last carried out patrols under the Baltic Air Policing mission in early 2025. Turkey is also scheduled to host the next NATO summit in July.

Turkey’s decision to deploy fighter jets to Estonia and Romania comes at a moment when NATO’s unity is under pressure not only from Russia, but increasingly from within, because of U.S. president Donald Trump push to seize control over Greenland, even at the price of severing the transatlantic link.

For Turkey, the move to send jets carries additional political weight. Ankara has sought to position itself as both a committed NATO ally and a regional power maintaining open channels with Moscow. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Turkey has provided military support to Kyiv, including armed drones, while simultaneously preserving economic ties and diplomatic dialogue with Russia.

Turkey’s role

The Turkish Air Force last completed a NATO Enhanced Air Policing mission in Poland in September 2021, marking its first such deployment in 15 years, according to the defence ministry.

During the operation, four F-16 aircraft and their crews were stationed at Malbork Air Base between 6 July and 15 September 2021, conducting around 30 sorties and participating in alert reaction duties and joint training with Polish forces.

In 2024, Turkish Air Force units also took part in NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing bilateral training mission over the western Black Sea, deploying two F-16s from the 1st Main Jet Base Command.

NATO Air Policing

NATO Air Policing is a permanent peacetime mission established in 1961, maintaining a continuous 24/7 presence of fighter aircraft and crews ready to respond to airspace violations or assist civilian aircraft in distress.

Allied air forces monitor air traffic across Europe, detecting and responding to unusual or potentially hostile activity, as well as supporting aircraft that lose contact with air traffic control.

Overall responsibility for the mission lies with NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), while operational control is exercised by Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) in Ramstein, Germany.

AIRCOM coordinates activities through three Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs): Torrejón in Spain, covering airspace south of the Alps; Uedem in Germany, responsible for airspace north of the Alps; and Bodø in Norway, overseeing the Nordic and Arctic regions.

Together, the CAOCs monitor up to 30,000 air movements across NATO airspace each day, ensuring continuous command and control, according to NATO.

Sources: Nefes.com.tr, Bloomberg, Reuters

Caption: An F-16 Fighting Falcon of the Turkish Air Force takes off on a sortie from an air base during Exercise Anatolian Eagle, in Konya, Turkey, Turkish Ministry of Defense