---
title: "Turkey to take part in the Baltic Air Policing mission"
id: "78043"
type: "post"
slug: "turkey-to-take-part-in-the-baltic-air-policing-mission"
published_at: "2024-11-05T21:26:06+00:00"
modified_at: "2024-11-05T21:26:43+00:00"
url: "https://estonianworld.com/security/turkey-to-take-part-in-the-baltic-air-policing-mission/"
markdown_url: "https://estonianworld.com/security/turkey-to-take-part-in-the-baltic-air-policing-mission.md"
excerpt: "Turkey has decided to take part in the Baltic Air Policing mission, NATO’s standing peacetime activity helping ensure the integrity of the airspace over Estonia, […]"
taxonomy_category:
  - "Security"
publisher: "Estonian World"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Sten Hankewitz"
author_url: "https://estonianworld.com/author/stenhankewitz/"
---

# Turkey to take part in the Baltic Air Policing mission

![The TAI Kaan, also called the "Turkish Fighter”, is a stealth, twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter in development by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The jet is to replace the Turkish Air Force's F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and to be sold to foreign governments. Photo by Dimir, shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.](https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG-TAI-TFX-1024x683.jpg)

The TAI Kaan, also called the "Turkish Fighter”, is a stealth, twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter in development by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The jet is to replace the Turkish Air Force's F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and to be sold to foreign governments. Photo by Dimir, shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

By  [Sten Hankewitz](https://estonianworld.com/author/stenhankewitz/)
  ·  November 5, 2024  · [Security](https://estonianworld.com/category/security/)
 · 2 minutes of reading

### Turkey has decided to take part in the Baltic Air Policing mission, NATO’s standing peacetime activity helping ensure the integrity of the airspace over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Turkey will participate in the Baltic Air Policing mission in 2026.

“Estonia and Turkey have close relations in both the economy and culture; however, they are best illustrated by our defence cooperation,” the Estonian foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, said in a statement.

“We have been allies in NATO for 20 years now and Turkey’s decision to take part in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing in 2026 sends a clear message of allied unity and readiness to contribute to the security of the alliance.”

Tsahkna said Estonia highly appreciated Turkey’s decision.

“In a tense security situation, the permanent and visible presence of allies in our region is crucial. Defending the air space of the alliance from Ämari reinforces collective defence as a whole.”

In 2024, Estonia also marked the centenary of the diplomatic relations with Turkey.

Turkey has previously taken part in the mission – in 2006 and 2021.

The Baltic air-policing mission is a NATO air defence Quick Reaction Alert in order to guard the airspace above Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Allies have been taking turns in safeguarding the Baltic airspace since 2004, when the three countries joined NATO. Since then, seventeen allies have participated in 91 rotations of the Baltic Air Policing mission, which is an expression of the solidarity among NATO members.

## About The Author

![Avatar photo](https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/uploads/local-avatars/15/1707599474-bpfull-100x100.jpg)

[Sten Hankewitz](https://estonianworld.com/author/stenhankewitz/)
Sten Hankewitz is a lifelong journalist and the Executive Editor at Estonian World. Having lived in Estonia, Spain, the UK and all around the US, he now resides in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He loves to write and besides working at Estonian World, he [writes books](https://estonianworld.com/culture/the-grand-illusion-estonian-worlds-sten-hankewitz-publishes-a-novel-about-growing-up-in-the-soviet-union/)
 and contributes to other outlets. He has strong convictions and shows them unashamedly. You can follow Sten on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@stenhankewitz)
, [X](https://twitter.com/stenhankewitz)
 and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/shankewitz/)
. You can also [email him](mailto:sten@estonianworld.com)
.