 The Turkish Air Force ( TAF ) received 40 F @-@ 4Es in 1974 , with a further 32 F @-@ 4Es and 8 RF @-@ 4Es in 1977 – 78 under the " Peace Diamond III " program , followed by 40 ex @-@ USAF aircraft in " Peace Diamond IV " in 1987 , and a further 40 ex @-@ U.S. Air National Guard Aircraft in 1991 . A further 32 RF @-@ 4Es were transferred to Turkey after being retired by the Luftwaffe between 1992 and 1994 . In 1995 , Israel Aerospace Industries ( IAI ) implemented an upgrade similar to Kurnass 2000 on 54 Turkish F @-@ 4Es which were dubbed the F @-@ 4E 2020 Terminator . Turkish F @-@ 4s , and more modern F @-@ 16s have been used to strike Kurdish PKK bases in ongoing military operations in Northern Iraq . On 22 June 2012 , a Turkish RF @-@ 4E was shot down by Syrian air defenses while flying a reconnaissance flight near the Turkish @-@ Syrian border . Turkey has stated the reconnaissance aircraft was in international airspace when it was shot down , while Syrian authorities stated it was inside Syrian airspace . Turkish F @-@ 4s remained in use as of 2015 . 
