Turkish Naval Aviation combat record

Every war and operation Turkish Naval Aviation has flown in

The Ottoman naval air service’s war of 1914–1918 is thinly recorded: three seaplane companies at the Armistice, and no verified sortie or loss figures. In the Republic the naval air arm’s documented operations are patrol rather than combat. Navy drones have flown from Geçitkale in northern Cyprus since December 2019 to protect Turkish drilling; the Turkish Cypriot state is recognised only by Turkey, and the Greek and Greek Cypriot positions are named as disputed rather than paraphrased. English Wikipedia credits the navy’s CN-235 patrol aircraft with finding drifting mines in the Black Sea after 2022. Blank cells are blank because no figure could be verified.

From Ottoman seaplanes in the First World War to drones over the Eastern Mediterranean and patrols over a mined Black Sea.

Conflict Years Against Main aircraft Sorties Aircraft lost
The First World Warthe Ottoman naval air serviceOttoman naval air service (Naval Aircraft School and seaplane companies) 1914–1918 United Kingdom, France and Russia Seaplanes

Training and seaplane operations; the details were not confirmed.

The Ottoman navy opened its flying school at San Stefano in June 1914, weeks before the war in Europe began; English Wikipedia records four aircraft at the school in August 1914. By the Armistice of Mudros the naval air service had three seaplane companies of four aircraft each. The sources checked for this page do not describe their operations, and no claim of victories or losses is made here. The Ottoman army’s air war, including Gallipoli, belongs to the lineage of the Turkish Air Force and is covered on its page.

Outcome Armistice of Mudros, 30 October 1918.

A thin record: no naval sortie, loss or victory figure could be verified.

Flying for
Ottoman naval air service (Naval Aircraft School and seaplane companies)
Where
Ottoman coasts
Alongside
Germany
Against
United Kingdom, France and Russia
Aircraft
Seaplanes
Losses
Sources
Wikipedia · MiGFlug Order of Battle
Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean patrolsdrones from Cyprus and DalamanTurkish Naval Aviation 2019– Bayraktar TB2, Anka, Aksungurand 2 more

Surveillance by patrol aircraft and drones over disputed waters, including the protection of Turkish drilling ships.

Not a war, but the arm’s most politically sensitive operation. On 16 December 2019 a Turkish TB2 landed at Geçitkale (Lefkoniko) in northern Cyprus; English Wikipedia cites Turkish reporting that the purpose was to protect Turkish vessels exploring and drilling for oil and gas. SavunmaSanayiST said the drones belonged to the Turkish Naval Forces and had previously flown from Çanakkale and Dalaman. The Turkish Cypriot prime ministry said the decision was taken “in light of recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean” to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriot state and Turkey. The waters concerned are also claimed by the Republic of Cyprus and Greece, and the Turkish Cypriot state is recognised only by Turkey; the official reactions of Nicosia and Athens to the deployment were not retrieved for this page and are not paraphrased. Milliyet reported in 2024 that Aksungurs from Dalaman fly reconnaissance over the Aegean.

Outcome Continuing.

Turkish sources only; the Greek and Greek Cypriot positions on the deployment were not available to this dataset.

Flying for
Turkish Naval Aviation
Where
Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean
Alongside
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Aircraft
Bayraktar TB2, Anka, Aksungur, P-235, P-72
Losses
None reported in the sources checked.
Sources
Wikipedia · SavunmaSanayiST · Milliyet · DefenceTurk
Black Sea patrols during the Russian invasion of Ukrainemine detectionTurkish Naval Aviation 2022– CN-235 MPA (P-235) 0

Maritime patrol over the Black Sea, including the detection of drifting sea mines.

This entry covers patrol flying, not combat. English Wikipedia says the navy’s CN-235 maritime patrol versions heavily patrolled the Black Sea during the conflict and repeatedly detected sea mines, aiding de-mining. The number of mines found by aircraft, and the dates, were not confirmed for this page.

Outcome Continuing.

Single source (English Wikipedia).

Flying for
Turkish Naval Aviation
Where
Black Sea
Alongside
No allied air arm
Aircraft
CN-235 MPA (P-235)
Losses
0 aircraft · 0 killedNone reported.
Sources
Wikipedia

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Sources & Further Reading

Every figure, checked

Figures verified 2026-10-01. Back to the Turkish Naval Aviation.