Latvia thanks Turkey for the F-16s that reinforced NATO air defence in the Baltic

Latvian Defence Minister Raivis Melnis met pilots and personnel of the Turkish Air Force at Lielvārde air base on October 9 to thank them for their contribution to the security of Latvian airspace. According to the Latvian Ministry of Defence, Turkish F-16s were deployed to Latvia for a short period to support NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence activities.

The ministry announced the meeting on X (in Latvian):

Post by the Latvian Ministry of Defence (@AizsardzibasMin), October 9, 2026

According to the statement, as carried by Turkey’s Milliyet (October 10, 2026, Anadolu Agency report), Melnis thanked Turkey for the “sensitivity” and speed with which it acted. He said the presence of the Turkish fighters at Lielvārde shows NATO’s ability to react quickly and move forces where they are needed. He added that close cooperation, mutual trust and the determination of allies to act together are a basic precondition for the security of Latvia and of NATO’s eastern flank.

A test for the base as well

According to the Latvian ministry, the deployment tested not only NATO’s ability to send allied forces quickly, but also the readiness of Lielvārde to receive and support allied air forces. Latvia has no fighter aircraft of its own, and the airspace of the Baltic states is covered by NATO’s air policing mission, with allied air forces deploying on a rotating basis.

NATO Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) wrote on X on October 10 that “Protecting NATO airspace is a shared responsibility, strengthened by NATO countries working together,” and that “Türkiye’s F-16 deployment to Latvia demonstrates NATO solidarity in action, reinforcing integrated air and missile defence and our commitment to collective defence.”

Post by NATO Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (@NATOJFCBS), October 10, 2026

Elections and tension on the border

At Melnis’s initiative, during Latvia’s parliamentary elections on October 3, the air forces of Turkey, Germany and Italy provided additional help in protecting Latvian airspace. Tension on the country’s eastern border was high at the time: armed men from Belarus threatened Latvian soldiers at the border, while neighbouring Lithuania sent troops to the border with Kaliningrad.

For Ankara, the deployment in the Baltic is a chance to show its value as an ally to its European partners, at a time when it seeks a role in the European defence architecture and is pressing to return to the F-35 programme. The Turkish air force has also taken part in the Baltic air policing mission in the past. The Latvian ministry did not say how many aircraft were deployed or exactly how long they stayed at Lielvārde.