Turkish F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes After Taking Off, Pilot Dies

JAKARTA - A Turkish F-16 fighter jet crashed killing its pilot on Wednesday morning, February 25 local time.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense said the fighter plane crashed shortly after taking off from Balikesir airport.

"Our pilot was killed," the ministry said, while expressing condolences to the pilot's family, quoted by AFP.

Radio information recorded the fighter lost shortly after takeoff at 00.56.

A search and rescue operation was then launched and the plane's debris was found.

In November 2025, a Turkish military C-130 cargo plane crashed in neighboring Georgia on its way back from Azerbaijan. The crash killed 20 people.

Another F-16 plane, produced by US company Lockheed Martin, has also been recorded falling in recent months.