Ankara sending clear message to Moscow: its airspace not “grey zone” – expert

The deployment of Turkish F-16 fighter jets to intercept Russian drones sent a clear signal to the Kremlin that Turkish airspace is not a “grey zone.”

This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Yevgeniya Gaber, a professor of national security, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council (USA) and the Center in Modern Turkish Studies at Carleton University.

“The fact that F-16 fighters were deployed to intercept Russian drones was an important signal: Ankara clearly demonstrated that its airspace is not a grey zone,” Gaber said.

According to her, violations of Türkiye’s airspace are provocations and tests of Ankara’s response and its “red lines.”

“The launch of drones is a relatively low-cost and controlled tool that allows Russia to assess whether Türkiye is ready to move from diplomatic signals to a military response… Russia should remember this well from 2015, when Turkish air defense forces shot down a Russian Su-24 in their airspace near the Syrian border,” the expert noted.

The professor believes that Türkiye knows how to separate demonstrative “muscle-flexing” from real threats to its security. Therefore, it will act cautiously and avoid harsh reactions. However, at the first opportunity, it will not hesitate to remind Russia about provocations in its airspace.

As Ukrinform reported, in December the Turkish Air Force shot down a drone approaching Türkiye’s airspace over the Black Sea. An F-16 fighter was used to destroy the UAV. Later, in the northwest of Türkiye, in Kocaeli province bordering Istanbul, a Russian Orlan-10 drone was found. Subsequently, in western Türkiye’s Balıkesir province, another UAV fell in a vacant area.

Photo from the archive of Yevheniia Haber