The Turkish Air Force: Flying into the abyss?
The Turkish Air Force: Flying into the abyss?
Kicked out of the U.S.-led F-35 program and facing U.S. military sanctions, what can Ankara do to sustain its fighter fleet?
(January 21, 2021 / BESA Center)
NATO’s second-biggest army had a deterrent air force both during and after the Cold War. In 2020, the Turkish Air Force (TuAF) was the world’s 21st biggest air power. The most dramatic moment in the history of the force was on July 15, 2016, when Turkey’s own jets bombed designated targets in Ankara, including the parliament building, as part of a failed putsch against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.