Turkse luchtmacht

Slagorde · Turkey

Turkse luchtmacht

Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı · Türk Hava Kuvvetleri

The Turkish Air Force (Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı) traces itself to the Ottoman aviation commission of 1911, flew in the Balkan Wars and at Gallipoli, became a separate service in 1944 and grew into one of NATO’s largest F-16 air forces — and in 2026, shut out of the F-35 since the S-400 purchase of 2019, it is waiting on 40 paid-for F-16 Block 70s, building Eurofighter Typhoons with Britain, and betting its future on the home-built KAAN, Hürjet and a fleet of armed drones.

Nationale markeringThe roundel: concentric rings of red, white and red, red outermost
VinnenmarkeringThe national flag: a white crescent and star on red
0Gevechtsvliegtuigen
14Actieve luchtbases
1911Opgericht
22Typen gepensioneerd
Photo: Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
LandKalkoenOpgericht1911StatusActiefHoofdkwartierÇankaya, AnkaraCommandantRafet Dalkıran
Het verhaal

The Turkish Air Force story: Ottoman pioneers, NATO’s Thunderjets and life after the F-35

1911–1922: Blériot pupils, the Balkan Wars and Gallipoli

Turkish military flying began in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. The service dates itself to 1 June 1911; English Wikipedia’s history of the Ottoman air arm places the Aircraft Commission (Tayyare Komisyonu) in late 1911. Two officers, Mehmet Fesa and Yusuf Kenan, qualified at the Blériot school in France on 21 February 1912, and a flying school opened at Yeşilköy outside Istanbul on 3 July 1912. In the Balkan Wars about seventeen aircraft flew reconnaissance, with heavy early losses from inexperience. In 1914 Fethi, Sadık and Nuri Bey were killed on an attempted Istanbul–Egypt flight and became the service’s first remembered martyrs. With German aircraft, crews and instructors the Ottoman squadrons flew over Gallipoli, the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and Palestine, peaking at about 90 aircraft in December 1916. The armistice of 30 October 1918 ended them; a handful of pilots then flew worn-out aircraft from Konya for the nationalists, and the Ankara assembly created an air branch on 23 April 1920.

1923–1945: a republican air force, Sabiha Gökçen and armed neutrality

The Republic rebuilt military flying from almost nothing. The flying school reopened at Eskişehir in 1925, and the same year aircraft were used against the Sheikh Said rebellion. Pilots trained in Britain, France, the United States and Italy; the Air War College followed in 1937. The Turkish Aeronautical Association’s school at Türkkuşu trained Sabiha Gökçen, who went on to military training at Eskişehir and in 1937 flew in the operations in Dersim — a campaign in which large numbers of civilians were killed, and for which Prime Minister Erdoğan apologised on behalf of the state in 2011. Guinness lists her as the first female fighter pilot, though women in France and Russia had flown in the First World War. By 1940 Turkey had over 500 combat aircraft, then the largest air arm in the Balkans and Middle East. Neutral until February 1945, it flew daily reconnaissance along its frontiers and bought whatever both sides would sell, from Spitfires to Fw 190s. The Air Force Command became a separate service on 31 January 1944.

1950–1974: NATO money, 479 Thunderjets and Cyprus

Jets and NATO arrived together. Eight pilots trained in the United States graduated in 1951, the 9th Fighter Wing formed at Balıkesir, and Turkey joined NATO in 1952. American aid delivered on a scale no other ally matched: 479 F-84G Thunderjets from 1952, 107 ex-Canadian Sabres from 1954, 206 F-100 Super Sabres, about 50 F-102s from 1968 and F-104 Starfighters. The air force sent no unit to Korea; its one pilot there, Muzaffer Erdönmez, flew a US B-26 and was killed. Incirlik opened for the US Air Force in 1955. In July 1974 the air force flew close support and interdiction over Cyprus, losing about ten aircraft by one compiled count. Its worst day was 21 July 1974, when F-104s and F-100s sank the Turkish destroyer Kocatepe in error, killing 54 of her crew. The US arms embargo that followed shut every American base except Incirlik and İzmir until September 1978.

1974–2011: Phantoms, F-16s, the Aegean and the war with the PKK

The Cyprus war produced the modern air force. The first 40 F-4E Phantoms arrived from June 1974; 236 F-4Es and RF-4Es were bought in all, and 54 F-4Es were rebuilt by Israel Aircraft Industries as the F-4E 2020 Terminator from 2000. The F-16 order of 1983 gave Turkey 270 F-16C/Ds, most assembled by TAI. Since 1974 Turkish and Greek fighters have met over the Aegean in a dispute over airspace width and flight plans that each government describes in opposite terms; a Turkish F-16D and its pilot were lost near Chios in 1996, and a Greek pilot was killed in a collision in 2006. From 1994 at the latest the air force bombed PKK camps in northern Iraq. The war with the PKK, about 40,000 dead on all sides from 1978 to 2025, was also its worst stain: at Roboski on 28 December 2011 two F-16s killed 34 villagers, mostly young smugglers, whom the air force said it had mistaken for militants; no one was prosecuted. Abroad, Turkish F-16s flew over Bosnia and Kosovo, and from 2001 Konya’s Anatolian Eagle made Turkey a host of large air exercises.

2012–2020: Syria, the Su-24 and the night of 15 July

Syria brought the first air-to-air shootdowns since 1974. On 22 June 2012 Syria shot down an RF-4E off its coast, killing Flight Lieutenant Gökhan Ertan and Flying Officer Hasan Hüseyin Aksoy; Ankara said the jet was in international airspace, Damascus that it had violated Syrian airspace. A Turkish F-16 downed a Syrian MiG-23 in March 2014. On 24 November 2015 an F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24 that Turkey said had crossed its border for 17 seconds after ten warnings; Russia said it never left Syrian airspace. The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov, was killed by ground fire from Syrian rebels as he parachuted down. Eight months later the air force was at the centre of the coup attempt of 15 July 2016: plotters flew F-16s from Akıncı, refuelled by tankers from Incirlik, bombed parliament and held the Chief of the General Staff at the base. The government blamed the Gülen movement, which denied it. Akıncı was closed and renamed Mürted, and the purge that followed cost the service many of its pilots. In March 2020, over Idlib, Turkish F-16s shot down two Syrian Su-24s and an L-39, and drones did much of the fighting.

2019–2026: S-400, no F-35, and a home-grown way out

The S-400 decision redrew the air force’s future. Turkey planned 100 F-35As and had six built by 2019, but Russia delivered the S-400 on 12 July 2019, the United States removed Turkey from the programme on 17 July, and CAATSA sanctions followed on 14 December 2020; the six jets are stored in the United States. A request for 40 new F-16 Block 70s and 79 upgrade kits was cut in November 2024 to the 40 jets alone, about $7 billion, and in September 2026 Ankara said it had paid but was still waiting. On 27 October 2025 Turkey signed for 20 new Eurofighter Typhoons from Britain for delivery in 2030–2032, with used jets from Qatar and Oman sought to bridge the gap; none had arrived by August 2026. The home industry is the other answer: the KAAN fighter first flew on 21 February 2024, the first production Hürjet trainer on 30 August 2026, and Anka and Akıncı drones fly with the air force. The 2026 budget raised defence and security spending by about a third. The weakness is time: an F-16 fleet from 1987–2012 and old Phantoms must hold the line until 2030.

The Republic rebuilt military flying from almost nothing. The flying school reopened at Eskişehir in 1925, and the same year aircraft were used against the Sheikh Said rebellion.Turkish Air Force · verified 2026-09-29

In één oogopslag

The Turkish Air Force in numbers

Dienst

Inheemse naam
Hava Kuvvetleri KomutanlığıAir Force Command, the name on the service’s own site (hvkk.tsk.tr) and in government announcements; Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Forces) is the common name. Turkish is Turkey’s only official language
Opgericht
1 June 1911The date the service uses, for the Ottoman aviation commission; Wikipedia’s Ottoman history places the commission in late 1911. The Ankara assembly created an air branch on 23 April 1920, and the Air Force Command became a separate service on 31 January 1944
Onderdeel van
Turkish Armed ForcesOne of the services under the Ministry of National Defence; the minister is Yaşar Güler
Hoofdkwartier
Çankaya, AnkaraCombatant units report to the Combat Air Force and Air Defence commands at Eskişehir, which replaced the 1st and 2nd Tactical Air Forces in 2014
Commandant
Gen. Rafet DalkıranAppointed by the Supreme Military Council on 4 August 2026, effective 30 August 2026; previously commander of the Combat Air Force
Minister van Nationale Defensie
Yaşar GülerAnnounced the cut in the F-16 deal in November 2024 and the Typhoon delivery schedule in December 2025

Kracht

Personeel
About 50,000Wikipedia’s figure for 2024; not confirmed on an official Turkish page or in IISS for this page
Gevechtsvliegtuigen
  • F-16C/D Block 30/40/50/50+ — 270 delivered 1987–2012
  • F-4E 2020 Terminator — 54 upgraded; number still flying not confirmed

Wikipedia still gives 270 F-16s in service, which does not allow for losses; a confirmed 2026 count was not found. No Eurofighter had arrived by August 2026. Six F-35As built for Turkey have been stored in the United States since its removal from the programme in 2019

Tanker and early warning
  • KC-135R Stratotanker — 7
  • Boeing 737 AEW&C (E-7T Peace Eagle) — 4

The fourth Peace Eagle was delivered in December 2015

Vervoer
  • A400M Atlas — 10
  • C-130B/E Hercules — 18 after the loss of 11 November 2025
  • CN-235 and C-160 Transall — numbers not confirmed

12 ex-RAF C-130J-30s are to arrive from late 2026 to 2028

Trainers
  • T-38M Talon — 68
  • KT-1T — 40 (plus 15 announced in 2015)
  • NF-5A/B 2000 — 13 (Turkish Stars)

The Hürjet is to replace the T-38M; the first production aircraft flew on 30 August 2026

Defensiebudget
2.15 trillion lira for defence and internal security (2026)Up 33.9 per cent on 1.608 trillion in 2025, per the vice-president; of that, 1.202 trillion is national defence. Defense News gives the Ministry of National Defence $19.08 billion (2.33 per cent of GDP for defence and security). Consumer prices rose 30.38 per cent in 2025, so much of the rise is inflation

Infrastructuur

Main jet bases
  • 1st Eskişehir — F-4E 2020, reconnaissance, test
  • 2nd İzmir-Çiğli — training
  • 3rd Konya — E-7T, weapons school, Turkish Stars, SoloTürk
  • 5th Merzifon — F-16
  • 6th Bandırma — F-16
  • 8th Diyarbakır — F-16
  • 9th Balıkesir — F-16
  • 10th Incirlik — KC-135R, F-16
  • 16th Dalaman

As listed in Wikipedia’s structure section; unit assignments change and were not confirmed on hvkk.tsk.tr, which could not be read. Konya hosts the Anatolian Eagle exercise, first held in June 2001

Transport and drone bases
  • 11th Etimesgut (Ankara) — transport and VIP
  • 12th Kayseri — transport
  • 14th Batman — unmanned aircraft

Wikipedia also lists S-400 and HAWK units under the air force

Closed air base
Akıncı (4th Main Jet Base), closed 2016The plotters’ base on 15 July 2016; renamed Mürted on 6 September 2016, its three F-16 squadrons disbanded or moved; now used by TAI
Allied presence
Incirlik, shared with the US Air ForceOwned by the Turkish Ministry of National Defence; the USAF 39th Air Base Wing is a tenant beside the 10th Main Jet Base. Open to US operations since 1955
Toon teams
2Turkish Stars (NF-5, since 1992–93) and SoloTürk (F-16C, since 2011), both at Konya
Museum
Istanbul Aviation Museum, YeşilköyRun by the air force; opened at its Istanbul site on 16 October 1985 after starting at İzmir in 1971

Structuur

How the Turkish Air Force is organised

One command in Ankara over the Combat Air Force and Air Missile Defence Command at Eskişehir and a network of numbered main jet bases. F-16s fly from most of the main jet bases and the last Phantoms from Eskişehir; pilot training starts at Çiğli, and Konya is the tactics hub and home of the Anatolian Eagle exercise. Incirlik belongs to Turkey; the US Air Force is a tenant there.

RD

General (orgeneral)Rafet DalkıranCommander of the Turkish Air Force (Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanı) · in office since 2026
LuchtmachtcommandoHava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı
Hoofdkwartier

Luchtmachtcommando

Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı
Ankara

Gen. Rafet Dalkıran took command on 30 August 2026, appointed by the Supreme Military Council on 4 August after leading the Combat Air Force. The headquarters is in Çankaya, Ankara; the Minister of National Defence is Yaşar Güler.

Operaties

Combat Air Force and Air Missile Defence Command

Muharip Hava Kuvveti
Eskişehir

Formed on 5 August 2014 at Eskişehir in place of the 1st and 2nd Tactical Air Forces, it commands the combat units. The Combined Air Operations Center is also at Eskişehir; on the night of 15 July 2016 all units were told to take orders through the operations centre there.

Frontlinie

Main jet bases

F-16 squadrons at Balıkesir, Bandırma, Merzifon, Diyarbakır, Dalaman and Incirlik; Eskişehir flies the last F-4E 2020 Phantoms and the 401 test squadron, and Konya the E-7T Peace Eagles, the weapons and tactics squadron and both display teams.

Tankers and transport

Tanker and transport bases

Incirlik, Kayseri, Etimesgut

Seven KC-135R tankers of 101 Squadron at Incirlik, heavy airlift with the A400M and C-130 at Kayseri, and tactical transport, VIP and government flights at Etimesgut in Ankara. Twelve ex-RAF C-130J-30s are due from late 2026.

Opleiding

2nd Main Jet Base

İzmir-Çiğli

The air force’s only pilot school, on SF-260Ds, KT-1Ts and T-38Ms; new F-16 pilots then convert with 193 Squadron at Balıkesir. The home-built Hürjet is to replace the T-38M.

Drones and air defence

Unmanned aircraft and missile units

Batman

Batman is the air force’s drone base, and the service flies Anka and Akıncı drones. Wikipedia lists the S-400 and HAWK units under the air force; the S-400, delivered from July 2019, cost Turkey its place in the F-35 programme.


In dienst

What the Turkish Air Force flies today

Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.

Type Rol In dienst Sinds Eenheden Notities
General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Block 30/40/50/50+)In dienst Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig 1987 270 delivered: 160 under Peace Onyx I (Block 30 and 40, 1987–1995), 80 Block 50 under Peace Onyx II (1996–1999, including an attrition batch) and 30 Block 50+ under Peace Onyx IV (2011–2012).

Meer

Wikipedia still gives 270 in service, which does not allow for losses; a confirmed 2026 count was not found.

McDonnell Douglas F-4E 2020 TerminatorIn dienst Jachtbommenwerper 1974 54 F-4Es upgraded by Israel Aircraft Industries (26 in Israel, 28 in Turkey), delivered 1999–2003. How many still fly in 2026 was not confirmed.
Canadair / Northrop NF-5A/B 2000In dienst Display team and lead-in trainer 13 1993 Seven NF-5A 2000 and six NF-5B 2000 with the Turkish Stars.
Boeing KC-135R StratotankerIn dienst Lucht-lucht bijtanken 7 Seven per Wikipedia.
Boeing 737 AEW&C (E-7T Peace Eagle)In dienst Luchtgebaseerde vroegtijdige waarschuwing en controle 4 2014 Four ordered, with an option for two more.
Airbus A400M AtlasIn dienst Strategisch en tactisch transport 10 Ten, all delivered by 2018, per Wikipedia.
Lockheed C-130B en C-130E HerculesIn dienst Tactisch transport 18 18 left after the crash of 11 November 2025, when the whole fleet was grounded for inspection. The Aviationist counts 6 modernised C-130B and 13 C-130E in the ERCIYES upgrade.
CASA/TAI CN-235In dienst Light transport and special mission
Transall C-160DIn dienst Tactical transport and special mission
Northrop T-38M TalonIn dienst Geavanceerde straaltrainer 68 68 per Wikipedia.
KAI/TAI KT-1TIn dienst Basistrainer 40 40 ordered in June 2007 and built jointly by the two countries; a further 15 announced in April 2015 as an interim buy. Whether the extra 15 were delivered was not confirmed.
SIAI-Marchetti SF-260In dienst Hoofdtrainer
Airbus Helicopters AS532 CougarIn dienst Combat search and rescue helicopter Wikipedia gives 35 helicopters of all types (AS532, T-70, UH-1H, T625); the split was not confirmed.
Bell UH-1H IroquoisIn dienst Hulphelikopter Included in Wikipedia’s total of 35 helicopters.
TAI AnkaIn dienst Drone voor middelhoge hoogtes en lange vliegduur 36 2013 36 delivered to the air force by June 2022, per Wikipedia; later deliveries not confirmed.
Baykar Bayraktar AkıncıIn dienst Heavy armed drone 2021 At least six with the air force, per Wikipedia (at least 17 across all Turkish services).
Baykar Bayraktar TB2In dienst Tactical armed drone Wikipedia gives 52 armed drones of all types with the air force; the TB2 share was not confirmed.
T-38M68
KT-1T40
Anka36
C-130B/E18
NF-513
A400M10
KC-135R7
E-7T4

Op bestelling

Type Besteld Eerste levering Notities
Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 ViperOp bestelling 40 The US approved 40 new jets and 79 upgrade kits in January 2024 in a package reported at $23 billion.

Meer

On 29 November 2024 Defence Minister Yaşar Güler said Turkey had dropped the 79 kits because TAI could do the upgrade itself; the 40 jets and munitions were put at about $7 billion, with a first payment of $1.4 billion. On 27 September 2026 a cabinet source said the money had been paid but deliveries had not been made. No delivery date has been published.

Eurofighter Typhoon (new-build, from the UK)Op bestelling 20 2030 Signed on 27 October 2025 during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Ankara.

Meer

The headline value is £8 billion (about $10.7 billion); Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence gave £5.4 billion for the aircraft and weapons (Meteor and Brimstone), the rest being training and support. Güler’s schedule of December 2025: six in 2030, eight in 2031 and six in 2032. BAE Systems said in July 2026 that manufacture had begun.

Eurofighter Typhoon (used, from Qatar and Oman)Op bestelling Reported numbers differ: 12 each from Qatar and Oman (Defense News, October 2025), 24 from Qatar and 12 from Oman for a fleet of 56 (Türkiye Today, 2026), or a total of 44 Typhoons including the 20 new ones (The Aviationist).

Meer

A first Qatari jet was expected by the end of February 2026, but none had been reported in Turkey by 4 August 2026, and the Omani jets had slipped to 2028. No contract for used aircraft was published.

Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules (ex-RAF)Op bestelling 12 2026 12 retired RAF aircraft bought in 2025 for about $740 million, overhauled by Marshall at Cambridge; deliveries from late 2026 to 2028.
TAI HürjetOp bestelling 16 First flight 25 April 2023; an order of four Block 0 with options for 12 Block 1 became a firm order for 16. The first production aircraft flew on 30 August 2026.

Meer

To replace the T-38M and the Turkish Stars’ NF-5s. Spain approved a large order in October 2025 (reported as 30 or 45).

TAI Hürkuş-2Op bestelling 55 2025 Planned as 15 in 2025, 20 in 2026 and 20 in 2027, per Wikipedia; actual deliveries were not confirmed.
TAI KAANOp bestelling Fifth-generation fighter; first flight 21 February 2024.

Meer

The air force requirement is reported as 100, with a first Block 10 batch of 20 on F110 engines (US export approval June 2026, $705 million); Wikipedia gives both 2028 and 2030–2033 for first deliveries, so no date is given here. Indonesia signed for 48 on 26 July 2025.


Voorheen in bedrijf

Every type the Turkish Air Force has retired

22 types, from the Blériot XI and other pre-1914 types to the Convair F-102A and TF-102A Delta Dagger. De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.

Type Rol Piek Geserveerd Vervangen door Notities
Convair F-102A en TF-102A Delta Dagger Onderscheppingsvoertuig voor alle weersomstandigheden 50 1968–1979 F-104G, F-100C About 50, from USAF stocks, overhauled by CASA in Seville.
Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk 2 (F-86E(M)) Dagvechter 107 1954–1968 107 ex-RCAF aircraft.
McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantom II Tactische verkenning 54 1980– 54 RF-4Es among the 236 Phantoms bought.
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Onderscheppingsvliegtuig en jachtbommenwerper F-16
North American F-100C/D/F Super Sabre Jachtbommenwerper 206 206, including 21 F-100D and two F-100F from Denmark; the rest from USAF stocks.
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak en RF-84F Thunderflash Jachtbommenwerper en verkenningsvliegtuig F-102
Republic F-84G Thunderjet Jachtbommenwerper 479 1952– 479 from 1952, per Wikipedia.
Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter Light fighter
Douglas C-47 Dakota Vervoer
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I, V, IX en XIX Jachtvliegtuig en verkenningsvliegtuig
Hawker Hurricane I/II Vechter
Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-3 Vechter
Morane-Saulnier MS406 Vechter
Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk en Kittyhawk Vechter
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Jachtbommenwerper
Consolidated B-24D Liberator Zware bommenwerper
Douglas B-26B/C Invader Lichte bommenwerper
de Havilland Mosquito Mk III/IV Light bomber and trainer
Bristol Beaufighter Mk I/X Zware jager
Bristol Blenheim IV/V Lichte bommenwerper
Fairey Slag I Lichte bommenwerper
Blériot XI and other pre-1914 types Eerste militaire vliegtuig 17 1912– About seventeen aircraft flew reconnaissance in the Balkan Wars; the exact mix of types was not confirmed.

Luchtbases

Where the Turkish Air Force flies from

Zwarte pinnen zijn actieve bases, holle pinnen zijn de bases die gesloten zijn. Akıncı, the plotters’ base on 15 July 2016, lost its squadrons and took back its old name, Mürted; it is now a reserve airfield used by Turkish Aerospace. Yeşilköy, the Ottoman flying school of 1912, is listed as a historic site. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Actieve luchtmachtbasis Gesloten of reserverenKlik op een speld om de basispagina te openen.
Baseren ICAO Status Startbaan Eenheden en vliegtuigen
Çiğliİzmir Province (Aegean) LTBL Actief 17/352.994 m
İncirlikAdana Province (Mediterranean) LTAG Actief 05/233.048 mconcreet
  • 101 Filo (101st Squadron): Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker
  • 152 Filo (152nd Squadron): F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
  • 39th Air Base Wing (US Air Force)
BalıkesirBalıkesir Province (Marmara) LTBF Actief 18L/36R2.990 m
BandırmaBalıkesir Province (Marmara) LTBG Actief 18/363,007 m
BatmanBatman Province (South-eastern Anatolia) LTCJ Actief 02/203.048 mconcreet
  • Unmanned aircraft squadron: IAI Heron, Bayraktar UAV (model not given in source), TAI ANKA
DalamanMuğla Province (Aegean) LTBS Actief 01L/19R3.000 mconcreet
DiyarbakırDiyarbakır Province (South-eastern Anatolia) LTCC Actief 16/343,549 mconcreet
ErhaçMalatyaMalatya Province (Eastern Anatolia) LTAT Actief 03/213.350 m
EskişehirEskişehir Province (Central Anatolia) LTBI Actief 09/273.050 m
EtimesgutAnkara Province (Central Anatolia) LTAD Actief 11L/29R2,607 m11R/29L1,509 m
  • 211 Filo (211th Squadron): CASA CN-235M-100
  • 212 Özel Filo (212th Special Squadron): Gulfstream IV and G550, Cessna Citation 560 and 650, Airbus A319 and A330, Bell UH-1H
  • Electronic Systems Squadron: CASA CN-235EW
Kayseri ErkiletKayseri Province (Central Anatolia) LTAU Actief
KonyaKonya Province (Central Anatolia) LTAN Actief
  • 131 Filo (131st Squadron): Boeing 737 AEW&C (E-7T Peace Eagle)
  • 132 Filo (132nd Squadron): F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (since 2007)
  • 134 Filo, Turkish Stars (Türk Yıldızları) display team: Canadair NF-5A/B
  • 135 Filo (135th Squadron): AS532 Cougar Mk1, Bell UH-1H, CASA CN-235M-100
  • NATO AWACS Forward Operating Base Konya: Boeing E-3A Sentry (NATO, deployed)
Mürtedformerly AkıncıAnkara Province (Central Anatolia) LTAE Actief 03/213,351 m
MerzifonAmasya Province (Black Sea) LTAP Actief 05R/23L3,235 mconcreet05L/23R3,235 mconcreet
YeşilköyTayyare MektebiIstanbul Province (Marmara) Gesloten
  • Tayyare Mektebi (Ottoman flying school): REP monoplane, Blériot XI (35 hp Anzani)

Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.


Slagorde

Who is stationed where in the Turkish Air Force

Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. Turkish squadrons are filos: 191 to 193 at Balıkesir, 131 to 135 at Konya, 111 and 113 at Eskişehir, several of them with names such as Kobra and Panterler. The US 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik and NATO’s AWACS detachment at Konya are listed with the bases that host them.

Konya luchtmachtbasis · LTAN3rd Main Jet Base and Garrison Command, Turkish Air Force; joint civil and military airport
131 Filo (131st Squadron)Ejder (Dragon) · Airborne early warning and control squadron · active
Boeing 737 AEW&C (E-7T Peace Eagle)
132 Filo (132nd Squadron)Hançer (Dagger) · Fighter squadron (weapons and tactics) · active
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (since 2007)
134 Filo, Turkish Stars (Türk Yıldızları) display teamAkrotim · Aerobatic display squadron · active
Canadair NF-5A/B
135 Filo (135th Squadron)Ateş (Fire) · Search and rescue squadron · active
AS532 Cougar Mk1, Bell UH-1H, CASA CN-235M-100
NATO AWACS Forward Operating Base KonyaNATO forward operating base · active
Boeing E-3A Sentry (NATO, deployed)
Eskişehir Air Base · LTBI1st Main Jet Base Command, Turkish Air Force
111 Filo (111th Squadron)Panterler (Panthers) · Fighter-bomber squadron · active
F-4E 2020 Terminator
113 Filo (113th Squadron)Ceylan (Gazelle) · Fighter squadron · active
RF-4E Phantom II (former, as Işık), F-16C/D Block 30/50
401 Test Filo (401st Test Squadron)Rüya (Dream) · Test and evaluation squadron · active
F-16C/D Block 30/40, F-4E 2020 Terminator
201 Filo (201st Squadron)Atak · Search and rescue squadron · active
AS532 Cougar Mk1, CASA CN-235M-100
112 Filo (112th Squadron)
F-4E Phantom II
Çiğli · LTBL2nd Main Jet Base Command
121 Filo (121st Squadron)Arı (Bee) · Advanced jet training squadron · active
Northrop T-38M Talon
122 Filo (122nd Squadron)Akrep (Scorpion) · Basic training squadron · active
KAI KT-1T
123 Filo (123rd Squadron)Palaz · Initial flight training squadron · active
SIAI-Marchetti SF-260D, PAC Super Mushshak
124 Filo (124th Squadron)Öncü (Pioneer) · Instructor training and standardisation squadron · active
125 Filo (125th Squadron)Puma · Transport and helicopter pilot training squadron · active
CASA CN-235, AS532 Cougar, Bell UH-1H
Mürted Air Base (formerly Akıncı) · LTAEMürted Hava Meydan Komutanlığı
141 Filo (141st Squadron)1994–2016
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
142 Filo (142nd Squadron)
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
143 Filo (143rd Squadron)1999–2016
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
Merzifon · LTAP5th Main Jet Base Command, Turkish Air Force; joint civil and military airport
151 Filo (151st Squadron)Jachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
5th Search and Rescue unitMelek (Angel) · Search and rescue · active
AS532 Cougar Mk1
153 Filo (153rd Squadron)
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
Bandırma · LTBG6th Main Jet Base Command, Turkish Air Force
161 Filo (161st Squadron)Yarasa (Bat) · Fighter squadron · active
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
162 Filo (162nd Squadron)Zıpkın (Harpoon) · Fighter squadron · active
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
6th Search and Rescue unitSearch and rescue · active
AS532 Cougar Mk1
Erhaç (Malatya) · LTAT7th Main Jet Base Command, Turkish Air Force; joint civil and military airport
2nd Army Aviation Regiment (Turkish Land Forces)Army attack helicopter regiment · active
TAI T129 ATAK
171 Filo (171st Squadron)
F-4E Phantom II / F-4E 2020
172 Filo (172nd Squadron)
F-4E Phantom II
173 Filo (173rd Squadron)
RF-4E Phantom II
Diyarbakır · LTCC8th Main Jet Base Command, Turkish Air Force; joint civil and military airport
181 Filo (181st Squadron)Pars (Panther) · Fighter squadron · active
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
182 Filo (182nd Squadron)Atmaca (Hawk) · Fighter squadron · active
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
202 Filo (202nd Squadron)Şark · Search and rescue squadron · active
AS532 Cougar Mk1, CASA CN-235M-100
Balıkesir Air Base · LTBF9th Main Jet Base Command, Turkish Air Force
191 Filo (191st Squadron)Kobra (Cobra) · Fighter squadron · active
F-86 Sabre (from 1956), F-104 Starfighter (from 1964 or 1969), F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (from 1990 or 1994)
192 Filo (192nd Squadron)Kaplan (Tiger) · Fighter squadron · active
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
193 Filo (193rd Squadron)Öncel · F-16 conversion training squadron · active
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
İncirlik Air Base · LTAG10th Main Jet Base Command
101 Filo (101st Squadron)Asena · Air refuelling squadron · active
Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker
152 Filo (152nd Squadron)Akıncı (Raider) · Fighter squadron · active
F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
39th Air Base Wing (US Air Force)Luchtmachtbasisvleugel · actief
Etimesgut · LTAD11th Air Transport Main Base Command, Turkish Air Force
211 Filo (211th Squadron)Gezgin (Voyager) · Air transport squadron · active
CASA CN-235M-100
212 Özel Filo (212th Special Squadron)Doğan (Falcon) · VIP transport squadron · active
Gulfstream IV and G550, Cessna Citation 560 and 650, Airbus A319 and A330, Bell UH-1H
Electronic Systems SquadronElectronic warfare squadron · active
CASA CN-235EW
Kayseri Erkilet · LTAU12th Air Transport Main Base Command, Turkish Air Force; joint civil and military airport
221 Filo (221st Squadron)Esen · Air transport squadron · active
Airbus A400M Atlas, Transall C-160D (former)
222 Filo (222nd Squadron)Alev (Flame) · Air transport squadron · active
Lockheed C-130B/E Hercules
Batman · LTCJ14th Unmanned Aircraft Systems Base Command, Turkish Air Force; joint civil and military airport
Unmanned aircraft squadronGölge (Shadow) · Unmanned aircraft squadron · active
IAI Heron, Bayraktar UAV (model not given in source), TAI ANKA

Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.


Tijdlijn

Turkish Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1911

1 June: the date the air force gives for its founding, with the Ottoman aviation commission.

1912

21 February: Mehmet Fesa and Yusuf Kenan qualify at the Blériot school. 3 July: the flying school opens at Yeşilköy. From September about seventeen aircraft fly in the Balkan Wars.

1920

23 April: the Grand National Assembly in Ankara creates an air branch; in July 1922 it becomes the Inspectorate of Air Forces at Konya.

1937

Sabiha Gökçen flies in the Dersim operations, later recognised by Guinness as the first female fighter pilot. The Air War College is founded.

1944

31 January: the Air Force Command becomes a separate service under General Zeki Doğan.

1952

Turkey joins NATO; the first of 479 F-84G Thunderjets arrive and the 9th Fighter Wing forms at Balıkesir.

1974

June: the first F-4E Phantoms arrive. 20 July: the air force flies over Cyprus. 21 July: Turkish aircraft sink the destroyer Kocatepe in error, killing 54.

1987

March: the first F-16 arrives under Peace Onyx I; most of the 270 F-16s are assembled by TAI.

1996

8 October: a Turkish F-16D is lost near Chios after an interception by Greek Mirage 2000s; Captain Nail Erdoğan is killed.

2001

18–29 June: the first Anatolian Eagle exercise at Konya, with Israel and the United States.

2011

28 December: two F-16s kill 34 villagers at Roboski, near Uludere, mistaken for PKK militants.

2012

22 June: Syria shoots down an RF-4E off the Syrian coast; both crew are killed.

2015

24 November: a Turkish F-16 shoots down a Russian Su-24 on the Syrian border.

2016

15 July: coup plotters fly F-16s from Akıncı and bomb parliament; the base is closed and renamed Mürted on 6 September.

2019

12 July: the S-400 arrives. 17 July: the United States removes Turkey from the F-35 programme.

2024

21 February: the KAAN fighter makes its first flight. 29 November: Turkey drops 79 F-16 upgrade kits and keeps 40 new Block 70s.

2025

27 October: 20 Eurofighter Typhoons ordered from Britain. 11 November: a C-130 breaks up over Georgia, killing 20.

2026

30 August: General Rafet Dalkıran takes command, and the first production Hürjet flies.


Gevechtsgeschiedenis

Elke oorlog waaraan de Turkse luchtmacht heeft deelgenomen.

Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.

15conflicten
1912Eerst
7Vliegtuig verloren
4Gedood
  • De Balkanoorlogen 1912–1913 Flew reconnaissance for the Ottoman army
  • De Eerste Wereldoorlog 1914–1918 Reconnaissance, artillery spotting, fighter and bombing missions with German aircraft and many German aircrew
  • De Turkse Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog 1919–1922 Flew reconnaissance for the nationalist army with aircraft left over from the First World War
  • Operaties tegen de opstanden in Sheikh Said en Dersim. 1925–1938 Bombing and reconnaissance against Kurdish uprisings
  • De Koreaanse Oorlog 1950–1953 No Turkish Air Force unit deployed

Bekijk het volledige gevechtsverslag



Uit het tijdschrift

Turkish Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Turkish Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Deze lijst wordt automatisch vernieuwd — nieuwe Afterburner-verhalen verschijnen hier automatisch.

Vecihi Hürkuş: The Pilot Who Built Turkey’s First AircraftVecihi Hürkuş escaped a Russian POW camp, built Turkey’s first aircraft and was jailed the day he flew it. Today Turkey’s trainers carry hisLees het verhaalTurkish Pilots Start Eurofighter Typhoon Training at RAF ConingsbyTwo Turkish Air Force pilots have begun Typhoon conversion with 29 Squadron at RAF Coningsby. They will instruct there until Turkey’s first jets arrive inLees het verhaalHürkuş-II Enters Turkish Air Force Service: First Two Trainers DeliveredTUSAŞ handed the first two Hürkuş-II basic trainers to the Turkish Air Force on 28 September 2026. 55 are on order, all due by the end ofLees het verhaalAkinci UAV-300: A Drone Just Fired a Ballistic MissileA turboprop drone took off from Tekirdag, put a supersonic ballistic missile through a ship 250 km out over the Black Sea, and flew home. Baykar has a priceLees het verhaalTürkiye’s First Production Hürjet Takes to the SkyShare this story On the morning of 30 August 2026 — Victory Day, the most patriotic date on the Turkish calendar — a sleek grey jet lifted off, climbed away, and stayed airborne for just 18 minutes. It was a…Lees het verhaalTurkey’s Anka III Drone Will Carry Super Simsek Strike DronesShare this story In February we covered Turkey pairing its KAAN fighter with two ANKA III stealth drones, in Turkey Pairs the KAAN With Two Robot Wingmen. A crewed fighter commanding uncrewed ones is now a familiar…Lees het verhaal

Alle verhalen in Afterburner


Vragen en antwoorden

Everything people ask about the Turkish Air Force

Hoe heet de Turkse luchtmacht in het Turks?
Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı (Air Force Command) is the official name used on the service’s site, hvkk.tsk.tr, and in government announcements such as the Supreme Military Council decisions; Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Forces) is the everyday name. English Wikipedia titles it Turkish Air Force.
Welke vliegtuigen gebruikt de Turkse luchtmacht in 2026?
De strijders ervan zijn de F-16C/D (270 delivered from 1987 to 2012) and the upgraded F-4E 2020 Terminator. It also flies seven KC-135R tankers, four E-7T Peace Eagle radar aircraft, ten A400Ms and older C-130s, T-38M and KT-1T trainers, and Anka and Akıncı drones. The Turkish Stars still fly NF-5S.
Waarom werd Turkije uit het F-35-programma verwijderd?
Because it bought the Russian S-400 air defence system. Russia delivered it on 12 July 2019 and the United States removed Turkey on 17 July 2019, arguing the S-400 could compromise the F-35; CAATSA sanctions followed on 14 December 2020. Turkey had planned 100 F-35As, and six built for it are stored in the United States. Ankara still calls the F-35 its priority, but in July 2026 US officials said the legal conditions for a return had not been met.
Koopt Turkije de Eurofighter Typhoon?
Yes. On 27 October 2025 Turkey signed for 20 new Eurofighter Typhoons from Britain, a deal worth £8 billion with training and support (£5.4 billion for aircraft and weapons, per Turkey’s defence ministry). Six are due in 2030, eight in 2031 and six in 2032. Used Typhoons from Qatar and Oman are being sought to bridge the gap, but none had arrived by August 2026.
What happened to Turkey’s F-16 Block 70 order?
Turkey asked for 40 new F-16 Block 70s and 79 kits to upgrade existing jets, a package approved by the United States in January 2024. In November 2024 it dropped the kits, leaving the 40 jets at about $7 billion, and said TAI would upgrade the old fleet itself. In September 2026 Ankara said it had paid but no aircraft had been delivered.
Why did Turkey shoot down a Russian Su-24 in 2015?
Turkey says the Su-24 crossed 2.19 km into Turkish airspace for 17 seconds on 24 November 2015 after ten warnings in five minutes, and a Turkish F-16 shot it down with an AIM-120. Russia says it never left Syrian airspace. The pilot was killed by ground fire from Syrian rebels as he parachuted; the navigator was rescued. Relations recovered after President Erdoğan’s letter of June 2016.
Was Sabiha Gökçen the first female military pilot?
Guinness World Records lists her as the world’s first female fighter pilot, at 23. She trained at Türkkuşu and Eskişehir and flew in the 1937 Dersim operations, a campaign for which the Turkish state apologised in 2011. Women in France and Russia had flown in the First World War, though not as fighter pilots and without military schooling. Istanbul’s second airport is named after her.
What role did the air force play in the 2016 coup attempt?
A central one. On 15 July 2016 plotters used Akıncı air base near Ankara as their command post, flew F-16's refuelled by tankers from Incirlik, bombed parliament and held the Chief of the General Staff at the base, while loyal F-4Es bombed its runway. The government blamed the Gülen movement, which denied it. Akıncı was closed and renamed Mürted.
Why do Turkish and Greek jets clash over the Aegean?
Because the two governments disagree on the rules. Greece says its airspace extends 10 nautical miles (since 1931) and that military aircraft in the Athens FIR must file flight plans; Turkey says national airspace can only match the 6-mile territorial sea and that the FIR is a technical arrangement that cannot bind state aircraft. Each calls the other’s flights by different names. A Turkish F-16D and its pilot were lost near Chios in 1996, and a Greek pilot died in a collision in 2006.
Wat is een Anatolische adelaar?
A large air combat exercise hosted by the Turkish Air Force at Konya’s 3rd Main Jet Base since 18–29 June 2001, when Turkey, Israel and the United States took part. Israel stopped attending after 2009, China’s air force exercised with Turkey in 2010, and Pakistan and Azerbaijan have been regular participants since.



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Photographs: Photo: Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Jerry Gunner from Lincoln, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Steve Lynes from Sandshurst, United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Gian Marco Anzellotti from Roma, Italia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Colin Cooke Photo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: CeeGee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Polish C-130E shown): Polish Air Force C-130E Hercules. Gerard van der Schaaf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Adrian Pingstone / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Italian SF-260 shown): Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Alex Lopez / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Koby Saunders / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Rob Schleiffert from Holland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Filip.vidinovski / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (F-84G in other markings shown): United States Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Sabre in other markings shown): Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Greek C-47 shown): Georgios Pazios (User:Alaniaris) / Wikimedia Commons (Attribution) · Photo: Berkay Çopur / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo (Hurricane in other markings shown): Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Fw 190 in other markings shown): Sot.virk. Eino Nurmi / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (MS.406 in other markings shown): Heikki Roivainen / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Dutch P-40 shown): Fotograaf Onbekend / DLC / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo (P-47 in other markings shown): Photos: US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Photo (B-24 in other markings shown): Photos: US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Photo (B-26 in other markings shown): US Air Force B-26 Invader. US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: RuthAS / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · Photo (Beaufighter in other markings shown): Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Finnish Blenheim shown): SA-kuva / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Belgian Fairey Battle shown): Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)