UPDATE: A new photo has been released showing an F-16 during a low pass near the S-400 radars, thus confirming the information that was released earlier on Monday.

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The Ankara governor’s office on Sunday announced that flight-testing would be carried out by F-16 fighter aircraft over the skies of the Turkish capital over the next few days.

The governor’s office called on residents of the capital to remain calm, as low and high altitude flight tests by the fighter jets belonging to the Turkish Air Forces would take to the skies of Ankara on Monday and Tuesday.

Turkey’s fleet of fighter jets consists entirely of American-built F-16s and F-4s that use American and NATO-standard weapons. The country currently flies 270 F-16 jets, but was looking to buy 100 new F-35 fighter jets.

However, Washington halted the delivery of the F-35 stealth fighter jets after it in July removed Turkey from the programme to help build and operate the new F-35s over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile systems.

Washington maintains the system is incompatible with NATO systems and poses a security threat to the F-35s.

The United States is also threatening to take measures against Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

According to information from Milliyet, Turkey will be testing for the first time the S-400 system it has received.

The newspaper publishes footage of the S-400 being deployed during activation trials.

Today also happens to be the 4-year-anniversary of Turkey downing the Russian jet over Syria…

Source: Ahval, Milliyet