Israel Matzav

Turkey shoots down Syrian fighter jet

The government of Turkey has confirmed that it shot down a Syrian fighter jet that strayed over its border with Syria.

Let's go to the videotape.



Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was unapologetic.

"A Syrian plane violated our airspace," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told an election rally of his supporters in northwest Turkey.

"Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? Because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard," Erdogan said.

The rebels have been fighting for control of the Kasab crossing, the border region, since Friday, when they launched an offensive which Syrian authorities say was backed by Turkey's military.

Syria said Turkish air defenses shot down the jet while it was attacking rebel forces inside Syrian territory, calling the move a "blatant aggression.”

State television quoted a military source as saying the pilot managed to eject from the plane. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said initial reports from the area said the plane came down on the Syrian side of the border.

The Turkish action may be more connected to next week's local Turkish elections than to any real violation of Turkish airspace. 

According to Turkey's Sunday Zaman, the shooting down of the jet may be a government effort to gain political scores ahead of a local vote that is scheduled to take place on March 30.
Citing Turkish officials, NTV reported that Turkish air defense system shot down a Syrian warplane after its incursion to the Turkish territory.

The incident came as Turkish government was mulling options to briefly intervene in Syria to protect the tomb of Süleyman Şah, the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, whose security is provided by the Turkish troops as part of an agreement with the Syrian authorities.

Concerns over a possible Turkish military intervention in Syria have been floated following news of clashes between an al-Qaeda splinter group and other Syrian opposition groups in the area.

In response to these reports, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Turkey will retaliate in the event of an attack on the tomb of Süleyman Şah irrespective of where the attack comes from.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the main Turkish opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), warned against any Turkish military incursion to Syria ahead of elections. According to the CHP leader, Erdoğan aims to divert public attention from a sweeping graft scandal that implicated the Erdoğan family.

Faster, faster.... 

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Free Syrian Army, Syrian air space, Syrian uprising, Turkey, Turkish elections

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:18 PM