Turkey Addresses Air Force Pilot Shortage

(IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly) –  The Turkish government issued a new decree on 25 August requiring civil aviation pilots to return to the Turkish Air Force Command (TAFC) in an attempt to bridge a serious shortage in combat pilots.

The shortage has become more acute as a result of the ongoing massive purges of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and of pilots after the 2016 failed coup.

One of the measures Turkey has reportedly taken to address the pilot shortage is to request Pakistan to send three F-16 pilot trainers. However, the US, which supplies F-16s, did not give permission to Turkey to receive Pakistani trainers.