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Türkiye’s Priority is Fulfilling NATO Responsibilities, Defense Minister Says

Türkiye's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, second left, speaks with members of his delegation during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP)
Türkiye's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, second left, speaks with members of his delegation during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP)
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Türkiye’s Priority is Fulfilling NATO Responsibilities, Defense Minister Says

Türkiye's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, second left, speaks with members of his delegation during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP)
Türkiye's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, second left, speaks with members of his delegation during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP)

Türkiye is fully committed to its responsibilities to NATO, its defense minister told Reuters, amid concern amongst some Western allies that Ankara may be tilting away from the West.
Last month, President Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye wants to be a partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) - a security, political and economic club launched in 2001 by Russia, China and Central Asian states as a counterweight to Western alliances - adding there was no reason for it not be a permanent member of the group.
Defense Minister Yasar Guler said in a written interview that Türkiye’s membership of NATO does not prevent it from developing relations with the SCO.
"Apart from that, our priority is to fulfill our responsibilities to NATO as an important ally and to strengthen the solidarity with our allies. Our focus should be that NATO is prepared, determined and strong," he added.
Ankara's interest in the BRICS group of nations and its friendly ties with Russia, namely in energy, tourism and defense, have stirred fears among Western nations that Türkiye's alliances may be pivoting. However, Ankara has repeatedly said it remains a committed NATO ally.
Since it was sanctioned by the United States and removed from the F-35 fighter jet program due to its acquisition of Russian S-400 defenses, Ankara has been working to procure 40 Block-70 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernisation kits from Washington. The deal was approved after Türkiye's blessing of Sweden's NATO bid.
Guler said the acquisition of the jets was continuing in line with the set calendar and talks on the details of the deal were underway.
"We are pleased with the accord reached on the procurement of the F-16s and modernisation, and we hope the project will be completed without a problem until the last jet is delivered," he said.
Asked whether Türkiye wanted to return to the F-35 program, Guler said talks between Ankara and Washington continued on the matter.
He added Türkiye remained interested in buying 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from Germany, Britain, and Spain, but that there was no concrete development yet and he hoped for a positive response from its allies.

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Two US Navy Pilots Shot Down Over Red Sea in Apparent ‘Friendly Fire’ Incident, US Military Says

Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is moored near Split, Croatia, Feb. 14, 2022. (AP)
Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is moored near Split, Croatia, Feb. 14, 2022. (AP)
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Two US Navy Pilots Shot Down Over Red Sea in Apparent ‘Friendly Fire’ Incident, US Military Says

Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is moored near Split, Croatia, Feb. 14, 2022. (AP)
Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is moored near Split, Croatia, Feb. 14, 2022. (AP)

Two US Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the US military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen's Houthi militias.

Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. But the shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become over the ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite US and European military coalitions patrolling the area.

The US military had conducted airstrikes targeting the Houthis at the time, though the US military’s Central Command did not elaborate on what their mission was and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press.

The F/A-18 shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, Central Command said. On Dec. 15, Central Command acknowledged the Truman had entered the Mideast, but hadn't specified that the carrier and its battle group was in the Red Sea.

“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.

From the military's description, the aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

It wasn't immediately clear how the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, particularly as ships in a battle group remain linked by both radar and radio communication.

However, Central Command said that warships and aircraft earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the militias. Incoming hostile fire from the Houthis has given sailors just seconds to make decisions in the past.

Since the Truman's arrival, the US has stepped up its airstrikes targeting the Houthis and their missile fire into the Red Sea and the surrounding area. However, the presence of an American warship group may spark renewed attacks from the militias, like what the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower saw earlier this year. That deployment marked what the Navy described as its most intense combat since World War II.

On Saturday night and early Sunday, US warplanes conducted airstrikes that shook Sanaa, the capital of Yemen that the Houthis have held since 2014. Central Command described the strikes as targeting a “missile storage facility” and a “command-and-control facility,” without elaborating.

Houthi-controlled media reported strikes in both Sanaa and around the port city of Hodeidah, without offering any casualty or damage information. In Sanaa, strikes appeared particularly targeted at a mountainside known to be home to military installations. The Houthis later acknowledged the aircraft being shot down in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023 after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage.

Israel’s grinding offensive in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, local health officials say. The tally doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.

The Houthis have seized one vessel and sunk two in a campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate US- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels.

The militias maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis also have increasingly targeted Israel itself with drones and missiles, resulting in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.