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The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) deployed approximately 2,000 personnel to Germany for NATO's largest exercise of the year, Steadfast Dart 2026, with the first aircraft arriving at Wunstorf Air Base on Saturday as troops were bid farewell in a ceremony at Corlu Air Base.
The Ministry of National Defense announced that the first aircraft departing from Corlu Air Base Command arrived at Wunstorf Airport in Germany as part of the exercise.
"Allies on the move, training together to strengthen readiness and collective defense," NATO Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum said in a statement.
The exercise, organized by NATO Joint Force Command, will run from Feb. 8 to Feb. 20 in Germany and represents NATO's most comprehensive exercise of 2026.
Ministry of National Defense (MoND) Spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk said the Turkish Armed Forces will deploy a force of approximately 2,000 personnel comprising land and naval elements to a location 6,450 kilometers from Türkiye's borders.
"Such capability to deploy a large force to northern Europe and subsequently conduct combat operations once again demonstrates the strength of our Turkish Armed Forces within NATO," Akturk said at the weekly press briefing on Feb. 5.
The deployment marks the first time Türkiye has positioned such a large force in northern Europe, a development seen as strengthening Ankara's weight in NATO's defense architecture.
The deployment involved multiple transport methods, both by sea and by air.
The Anadolu Turkish naval task force departed Foca on Jan. 20 and made a port visit to Rota, Spain, on Jan. 30-31, then continued through the Atlantic Ocean toward Germany.
Ground elements and vehicles began sea transport from Tekirdag Port on Jan. 26, with forces arriving at Emden, Germany, on Feb. 7-8. A contingent of 573 ground personnel was transported by an A-400M military transport aircraft following the farewell ceremony at Corlu Airport.
Equipment, including vehicles, weapons, and ammunition, transported by TCG Anadolu and civilian cargo ships, has reached Emden Port.
Forces will be positioned at the Bergen Training Area for the exercise.
A farewell ceremony was held at Corlu Air Base Command for units of the 66th Mechanized Infantry Brigade deploying to Germany.
3rd Corps Commander Lieutenant General Rasim Yaldiz said the Turkish Armed Forces continue to contribute to world and regional peace while providing effective support to NATO's defense and deterrence.
"Steadfast Dart 2026 is NATO's most important field exercise of 2026 in terms of scope and nature," Yaldiz said, noting that personnel from the 66th Mechanized Infantry Brigade had undergone intensive preparation before the exercise.
66th Mechanized Infantry Brigade Commander Brigadier General Hulusi Kocbay said units assigned to the NATO Allied Response Force will participate in the approximately three-week exercise in Germany.
"We are participating with a total of 650 personnel and 149 vehicles, using domestic weapons, equipment, and ammunition in our inventory," Kocbay said.
The combat group consists of a motorized infantry battalion, an artillery battery, an engineer combat company, a maintenance unit, and a field service company.
Steadfast Dart 2026 involves approximately 10,000 troops from 11 countries, including Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
The exercise includes 1,500 ground vehicles, nearly 200 armored vehicles, 30 fighter aircraft, 15 helicopters and 15 warships.
The exercise aims to test NATO's rapid force transfer capability within Europe during a potential crisis. During the exercise, joint training will be conducted with allied nation personnel to enhance interoperability capabilities within NATO.
Türkiye has also assumed Amphibious Task Force Command and Landing Force Command roles within NATO for the first time during the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
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