USA: There are no pilots to fly Turkish F-16s

In the name of politics, Turkey has purged its air force so much that it does not have enough pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, as the American magazine The American Interest claims in an article.

After the attempt coup in 2016, the Turkish government has dismissed more than 300 F-16 pilots, and this has left the Turkish Air Force without trained personnel, notes columnist Michael Peck. Instead, the Turkish government is looking abroad for a solution.

“However, Washington has rejected a request from Turkey to send trainers. “Turkey has also asked for help from Pakistan,” the analyst was quoted as saying by the Atlantic Council. do not lose their flight licenses.

The lack of pilots causing gaps in Turkey’s defense system is one reason why Ankara was so willing to buy S-400 anti-aircraft systems from Russia despite US sanctions, Peck said.

Peck referred to Turkish analyst Verda Özer, who said that the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016 created “the need to develop our air defense”. “But the S-400s alone are not enough,” Özer added.

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