According to Kordpress, the governor of Baliksir announced the crash of an F-16 fighter plane belonging to the city's 9th jet base, which crashed shortly after taking off from the runway. As a result of this incident, Major pilot Ibrahim Bulat died. This accident caused a wide reaction from the Turkish authorities and an official funeral ceremony was held with the presence of senior military commanders and officials.

According to the Turkish Anatolian Department, an F-16 fighter plane belonging to the 9th jet base in Balik Asir city, crashed on the morning of February 25, 2026 (today), shortly after taking off from the runway, in the Naipeli area on the Izmir-Istanbul highway. Governor Balik Asir announced that the plane's radio communication was cut off at 00:56 and after the start of the search and rescue operation, the wreckage of the plane was found. Major pilot Ibrahim Bulat died in this incident. The highway, which was temporarily closed, was reopened after the end of the rescue operation.

The Ministry of National Defense of Türkiye announced that the cause of the accident will be determined after the investigation of the technical team. The prosecutor's office has also started a judicial investigation. The officials of the Ministry of Interior emphasized that the investigation process continues with the full coordination of the relevant institutions.

After holding an official ceremony at the 9th Jet Base, the body of the deceased pilot was transferred to his hometown, Izmir, and buried in Qadifa Qala Air Martyrs Cemetery. In the funeral ceremony, Air Force commanders, senior government officials and a large number of citizens were present, and two F-16 planes also flew in respect. The president, heads of state, ministers, as well as officials from the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Cyprus sent messages to express their condolences on the death of this pilot.