Turkey plans to deploy fighter jets to Estonia and Romania as part of NATO’s enhanced air policing missions, its the defense ministry said on Thursday.
Ankara plans to conduct a four-month deployment in the Baltic nation between August and November 2026, followed by another rotation in Romania from December 2026 to March 2027, according to the ministry at its weekly press briefing.
Turkey has contributed significantly to NATO’s air policing operations along the alliance’s eastern flank aimed at protecting allied airspace during peacetime.
It carried out enhanced air policing missions in Poland between July and September 2021, and in Romania between November 2023 and April 2024.
The planned deployments come as the alliance beefs up air defenses after multiple violations by Russia of its airspace.
