The Turkish Ministry of National Defense announced that an F-16 fighter jet lost contact early this morning after taking off from an airbase in Balikesir province, in the country's west. Search and rescue teams were immediately deployed and located the aircraft wreckage. Major Ibrahim Bolat, the F-16 pilot, was confirmed dead.

Dashcam video from a car captured a large explosion and a column of smoke erupting as the F-16 plummeted to the ground. Another perspective revealed debris on the road surface and a fire at the crash site.

Ismail Ustaoglu, governor of Balikesir province, stated that the F-16 crashed onto the Izmir - Istanbul highway, near Naipli commune. The road section was subsequently closed for rescue operations and investigation. Turkish authorities have not yet announced the cause of the accident.

The F-16 multirole fighter, developed by General Dynamics in the 1970s, is utilized by the US military and numerous allied nations. Each F-16 costs approximately 30-35 million USD, depending on the variant; however, the final price for customers can vary based on order quantity, economic-political conditions, and other factors.

The Turkish Air Force currently operates 238 F-16 fighter jets, including 35 F-16C/D Block 30 aircraft upgraded to TM standard by the country, 174 F-16C/D Block 40/50 aircraft, and 29 aircraft of the Block 50+ variant.

In 2024, Turkey signed a 23 billion USD contract to acquire 40 additional F-16C/D Block 70 fighter jets, intended to replace aircraft nearing the end of their service life. The agreement also includes support for upgrading 79 existing aircraft to the US's most modern F-16V standard.

By Nguyen Tien (Sources: Anadolu, AP, TRT Haber)