"At 0056 local time (2156 GMT), radio contact and the location of our F-16, which took off from the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balikesir, were lost. As a result of the immediately initiated search and rescue operations, it was determined that our aircraft had crashed, and its wreckage was found," the ministry said on X, Xinhua reported.

The investigation into the cause of the accident is underway, it added.