On Wednesday, the Republic of Korea Air Force hosted a bilateral Air Force-to-Air Force meeting with the Turkish Air Force delegation at Air Force Headquarters in Gyeryongdae.
This marked the eighth edition of the ROK–Türkiye Air Force conference, first held in 2009. The two nations take turns hosting the event.
The meeting was co-chaired by ROK Deputy Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Park Ki Wan and Turkish Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Rafet Dalkıran. Lieutenant General Park noted that South Korea and Türkiye are brother nations that fought together to protect peace on the Korean Peninsula during the Korean War. He expressed his hope that mutual friendship and cooperation between the two air forces would further deepen through ongoing defense collaboration.
The main discussions included the participation of ROK Air Force UAV pilots in Türkiye’s UAV training programs, joint efforts in unmanned aerial systems development, a pilot exchange program involving Korea’s KT-1 and Türkiye’s F-16 aircraft, and potential cooperation in the space sector. Both sides also agreed to expand educational exchanges, including mutual cadet training and the exchange of officers at each nation’s command and staff colleges.
Türkiye continues participating as a member nation in the Korea-led international aerospace cooperation body, the Korean Tactical Cooperation Group (K-TCG), and maintains active logistical and technical information sharing with the ROK Air Force regarding KT-1T aircraft operations.
The Turkish Air Force has used the KT-1T for pilot training since 2013. The KT-1T is a basic trainer aircraft jointly developed and produced by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) since 2007.
The Turkish Air Force delegation, which arrived in South Korea on May 19, visited the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan on May 20 to honor the sacrifices of Korean War veterans. The delegation departed South Korea on May 23.
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