In an interview with CNN, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev admitted to the presence of Turkish F-16 fighter jets in his country. He stated that these warplanes had arrived in Azerbaijan for joint military exercises with Turkey.

Last year we held military exercises with Turkey, in the framework of which the fighter jets arrived in Azerbaijan. We have only had two military exercises this year because of the pandemic, he said.

The last military exercises were held before the aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

Aliyev claimed, however, that these F-16s had not taken part in any hostilities.