German Chancellor met Turkish soldiers at NATO exercise

During his visit to Air Defender 2023, the largest air exercise in NATO history in Germany, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met Colonel Ersin Özmen, Air Pilot Unit Relocation Commander, who commands the Turkish fleet of F-16, and accompanying soldiers.

Scholz, who came to the Jagel Military Air Base in northern Germany where the exercise was held, congratulated the Turkish Air Force F-16 personnel on their participation in the exercise and wished them success. Colonel Özmen also thanked Scholz for his hospitality.

Examining the planes involved in the exercise, Scholz said in a statement that Russia’s war against Ukraine was a turning point, reiterating: “Because this is an expression of a strong country’s readiness to invade its neighbor, if it has power, to seize some or all of their land.”We all agree that this is no longer the case, that borders must be inviolable and cannot be changed by force,” he said.

Stating that the exercise also provides opportunities to learn where cooperation can be intensified and where technical developments among all participating countries can be used, Scholz also talked with the US soldiers involved in the exercise.

The largest air exercise in NATO history, “Air Defender 2023”, organized by Germany and attended by 250 aircraft from 25 countries, including the Turkish Air Force, will end on Friday, June 23. (AA)