Turkish Stars dazzle crowds at Belgian Air Force Days

The Turkish Stars aerobatic squadron delivered the longest aerial performance of the Belgian Air Force Days on Sunday, executing a 45-minute demonstration with seven NF-5 Freedom Fighter aircraft before thousands of spectators at Florennes Air Base. Flying in tight formation, the pilots showcased maneuvers accompanied by multilingual commentary in English, French, Dutch, and Turkish — a gesture Lt. Fatih Saglam, the team's press officer, noted demonstrated respect for local spectators.

Diplomatic reception

Following the display, pilots met with visitors including Türkiye's Ambassador to Brussels Baris Tantekin, Consul General Onur Sevim, and senior Belgian military officers. Team Leader Lt. Col. Hasan Kocabas confirmed the Turkish Stars — known as Türkiye's "national team in the skies" — would perform again on the second day of the event.

Bilateral cooperation

Tantekin told Anadolu that Türkiye and Belgium maintain strong cooperation as friendly allied nations, citing Queen Mathilde's recent economic mission to Türkiye which explored collaboration in renewable energy, defense industry, and digital transformation. The ambassador thanked the team for delivering a flawless display despite hot weather, adding that the approximately 300,000 members of the Turkish community in Belgium took pride in the performance.

Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Kursat Komur said the team was honored to represent their nation abroad. "We are very happy to represent the Turkish nation and the Turkish flag in Belgium. We are proud to represent our country," he said. The team was scheduled to perform a second demonstration on the final day of the Belgian Air Force Days, which runs through Monday at Florennes Air Base.