Drone incidents escalate as Turkey finds three UAVs in five days

Turkey shot down a drone that violated its airspace and discovered two more crashed drones over five days, marking an escalation in incidents linked to the spillover of Russia's war in Ukraine into the Black Sea region.

Turkish F-16 fighter jets intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle on Monday after it entered Turkish airspace from the Black Sea, the Ministry of National Defence said.

The drone was shot down near Çankırı, approximately 120 kilometres from Ankara, after it appeared to be out of control.

On Friday, authorities found a crashed drone near Kocaeli, about 30 kilometres south of Istanbul. The Interior Ministry said initial findings indicate the drone is a Russian-made Orlan-10 type used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes.

A second crashed drone was discovered on Saturday in a field near Balıkesir, some three hours southwest of Istanbul, Turkish media reported.

Farmers found the drone and handed it over to authorities, who transported it to Ankara for analysis. The origin of the Balıkesir drone remains under investigation.

The ministry said the drone on Monday was destroyed "at the most appropriate place" after procedures were completed. Debris broke up into small pieces and scattered across a wide area, complicating recovery efforts.

"Due to the ongoing war ... our interlocutors have been warned that both sides should be more careful about such negativities regarding the security of the Black Sea," the ministry said.

Air defence questions raised

The incidents raised questions about Turkey's air defence readiness, particularly after the first drone penetrated deep into Turkish airspace before being intercepted.

Namık Tan, an opposition CHP deputy and former ambassador, questioned whether Turkey's radar system was sufficient to detect a drone capable of coming close to the capital and critical defence facilities.

The defence ministry rejected the criticism, saying that Turkey's airspace control operates continuously, with radar, early warning, electronic warfare and interception systems working in a layered architecture.

"The process regarding the UAV in question was successfully managed and finalised," the ministry said. "The allegations that our air defence system is weak do not reflect the truth."

The ministry said the drone's small size presented significant detection challenges, requiring cross-verification from multiple sensor systems.

Four passenger aircraft approaching Ankara Esenboğa Airport were diverted to Konya on 15 December as a precautionary measure during the interception.

Black Sea attacks on the rise

The drone incidents come amid increased attacks on vessels in the Black Sea, including some belonging to Turkish companies.

In late November, Ukrainian forces struck two tankers identified as part of Russia's shadow fleet — the Virat and Kairos — in the Black Sea near Turkey's coast. Turkish rescue teams evacuated crew members from both vessels.

In early December, the tanker Midvolga-2, carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia, was attacked about 130 kilometres off the Turkish coast.

On 12 December, a Russian missile struck the Panama-flagged Turkish-owned vessel Cenk T whilst it was anchored in Odesa port, according to Turkish media reports. The ship, operated by Turkish company Cenk Ro-Ro, provides passenger and freight services between Turkey and Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned both sides to stop targeting civilian vessels. "Targeting merchant ships and civilian ships will not benefit anyone," he said. "We clearly convey our warning to both sides."

Turkey has condemned the attacks and called for restraint from Russia and Ukraine. Ankara has maintained diplomatic relations with both countries since Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Black Sea connects Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Bulgaria and Romania. Turkey controls the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, the only passages between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.