Turkish F-16 jets land at Latvian military base as part of NATO mission

Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets landed at Latvia's Lielvarde Military Base on Friday as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission, according to the Latvian Defense Ministry.

The aircraft flew to Latvia from Amari Air Base in neighboring Estonia, where a Turkish contingent is supporting NATO's mission to safeguard the airspace of the Baltic states, the ministry said in a statement.

Latvian Defense Minister Raivis Melnis, Türkiye's Ambassador to Latvia Ahmet Cemil Miroğlu, and senior Latvian military officials attended an event marking the aircraft's arrival.

Melnis said the presence of Turkish fighter jets in Latvia demonstrates NATO's readiness to protect allied airspace and respond to potential threats.

"The presence of Allied forces strengthens the security of Latvia and NATO's entire eastern flank, while sending a clear message of the Alliance's unity and the strength of our collective defence," he said.

The ministry said Italy assumed responsibility for the latest rotation of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission at Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania on July 31, taking over from French and Romanian contingents.

The Italian-led rotation is being supported by the Turkish contingent operating from Amari Air Base in Estonia.

The three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, all of them former Soviet republics, have a combined population of a little over 6 million people.

All three nations joined the NATO alliance in 2004.