An F-16 fighter jet that took off from the 9th Main Jet Base in, western Türkiye, crashed during a night mission, killing the pilot. Radio contact with the aircraft was lost shortly after 00:50, and the wreckage was later found in a rural area near Naifli village.
Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu confirmed the pilot’s death, while the Ministry of Interior said a technical investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash. The İzmir-Istanbul Highway was temporarily closed in both directions following the incident.