Pakistan general confirms pilot swap with Turkey after 2016 purge

Pakistani Major General Abbas Ghumman acknowledged that Pakistani pilots replaced Turkish Air Force personnel following President Erdogan's post-coup purge in 2016, which saw roughly 680 pilots dismissed. Ghumman also boasted of Pakistan's role in Turkey's 1974 Cyprus operation, highlighting deep defense ties between the two nations. Reports indicate Pakistani pilots flew Turkish jets and violated Greek airspace in 2019, prompting Greece to accelerate defense ties with India. Both nations denied the arrangement until 2023, when Pakistan's Air Chief Marshal Baber Sidhu confirmed Pakistani pilots train Turkish aircrew. The Pakistan–Turkey–China nexus is raising concerns in Greece over regional security and nuclear proliferation.