Turkish Plane Reported Shot Down in Syrian Airspace

[alan131210]

by Stephen Lendman

On June 22, Reuters headlined "Turkish jet downed by Syria air defenses: report," saying:

According to Lebanon's Al-Manar television, "Syrian air defenses shot down a Turkish military aircraft, quoting Syrian security sources."

Reportedly it was an F-4 Phantom fighter bomber. First introduced in 1960, McDonnell Aircraft produced it. It was used extensively during the Vietnam war. More advanced aircraft replaced it long ago.

A pilot and navigator were on board.

Turkey regularly patrols airspace close to Syria's border.

Al-Manar headlined "Crisis Meeting in Turkey after Losing Contact with Military Jet near Syria," saying:

Turkey's military said it "lost radio contact with one of its aircraft on the Mediterranean near neighboring Syria."

At 7:30 GMT, the plane left Malatya airbase. At 8:58GMT, communication was lost "in the southwest of the Hatay province bordering Syria...."

Search and rescue efforts began. It's unconfirmed officially if the plane crashed or was shot down. Its pilot and navigator were reported unharmed.

"Malatya governor Ulvi Saran told the Anatolia news agency that it was a F-4 plane with two pilots onboard...."

In response to the incident, AFP said Turkey convened a crisis meeting.

Other reports are circulating. Russia Today (RT.com) said Syria apologized to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan for downing its aircraft.

Turkey's Hurrieyet daily reported the same story. It headlined "Syria apologizes for taking down Turkish warplane: Turkish PM," saying:

"Eyewitnesses in the northern Syrian town of Latakia told BBC Arabic that Syrian air defences shot down an unidentified aircraft near the town of Ras al-Baseet."

An "official Turkish source" said Syrian forces shot it down.

Early Friday, the plane crashed into Syrian waters. A missile reportedly destroyed it. Hurriyet said Turkish helicopters rescued two crew members.

Other reports suggest they were taken captive.

"Unconfirmed reports (said) Syrian defense forces had been shooting at two foreign planes."

Local correspondent Ihab Sultan told Russia Today (RT.com):

"Witnesses spotted two jets flying in from Turkish territory. One of the planes went down in Syria’s territorial waters, while the other one made off."

Mossad-connected DEBKAfile provocatively said "Syrian anti air defenses shot the plane down in an ambush calculated to retaliate for the defection of the Syrian Air Force pilot Col. Hassan Maray al-Hamadeh to Jordan a day earlier with his MiG-21 warplane."

"Officials in Damascus are certain his defection was organized by US and Turkish intelligence."

At 16:00 local time, two Turkish military aircraft entered Syrian airspace over Latakia. They were "lying low in threatening formation." One was struck and destroyed. The other escaped.

Dam Press and other Syrian news agencies "speculated that the intruders were either Turkish or Israeli."

"Since Thursday, Syria’s entire air fleet has been grounded while its spy agencies screen flight personnel for more potential defectors."

Turkey's Today's Zaman headlined "Report: Syria shoots down Turkish warplane."

It published an earlier Reuters report.

Turkey's a NATO member. It could invoke NATO Charter Articles 4 or 5.

Article 4 calls for members to "consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of any" is threatened.

Article 5 considers an armed attack (real or otherwise) against one or more members, an attack against all, and calls for collective self-defense.

Whether the incident was accidental or provocative remains to be determined. Given ongoing crisis conditions and tense Turkish/Syrian relations, events going forward bear watching.

Wars begin for less.

[burnsss]

I dont think that Turkey will do any radical move. If they do anything it will be with nato help.

[talsor]

Let the dogs fight among each other and we will show up when the battle is over . Kurds should do everything they can to stay out of the conflict , but they should add wood to the fire regularly .

[burnsss]

Let the dogs fight among each other and we will show up when the battle is over . Kurds should do everything they can to stay out of the conflict , but they should add wood to the fire regularly .

We kurds should just wait and get armed. I just hope that pkk wont be used by Syria again. We know what happend last time when they kicked out pkk of Syria.

[alan131210]

Tehran "asks both sides to show calm and restraint and hopes that with tact and tolerance and dialogue, this issue will be evaluated and through a peaceful resolution, tranquility and stability will be preserved in the region," Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying.

Iran is the staunchest ally of Syria, which is embroiled in a 15-month conflict UN officials fear has become a civil war.

Turkey, a NATO member, sits on the other side as a critic of Syrian President Bashar al Assad's crackdown on the unrest.

A Syrian anti-aircraft battery near the Turkish border on Friday shot down a Turkish Phantom warplane that Damascus said violated its airspace by flying in low and fast from the Mediterranean.

Turkey has taken care not to inflame the sensitive incident by admitting that its aircraft may have entered Syrian territory, though it suggested it could have been unintentional.

Still, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would "announce its final position and take necessary steps with determination after the incident is entirely clarified".

Syria and Turkey said their navies were coordinating a search for the Phantom's two pilots.

Source: dailytelegraph

[alan131210]

my understanding turkey wants to drag NATO into a war with syria as turks are getting restless over kurds getting their rights and enjoying a sort of autonomy happening in WK already .

[dyaoko]

the funny thing is I heared on the news the turkish something minster (war or forigen) said it is a pretty normal thing for planes to fly inside our neighbor countries and syria shouldn't have hit our planes....

NORMAL ??? excuse me ? normal ? these turks are so used to fly over Iranian Kurdistan and Southern Kurdistan to bomb Kurds , they think Syrians are like Iran and KRG and let their planes fly over their country that easily

even though I kind of hate syria regime but I kind of got happy of this thing too...somebody finally shot those war planes of turkey , I wish KRG could do the same to their planes too

[alan131210]

it was only an F4 they shot down , it is clear turks knew it will be shot down otherwise they would have sent in an F16 , but the main reason is to drag NATO a war with syria so that they can get control over Efrin as it is currently enjoying full autonomy under PYD , and word is they have transferred 4000 fighters from Qandil to Efrin .

from the allegations going on turkkey wants to annex Efrin and KRG wants Hasaka province which is the largest Kurdistani region in WK vs Efrin . if Saudi can annex Bahrain then KRG can annex Hasaka province , who will stop KRG ! everyone is establishing ties with KRG no one dares to strain relations thanks to our oil & gas reserves .

even in this map Efrin is annexed with turkey which is made by a jew cant recall his name!

[Kawe]

it was only an F4 they shot down , it is clear turks knew it will be shot down otherwise they would have sent in an F16 , but the main reason is to drag NATO a war with syria so that they can get control over Efrin as it is currently enjoying full autonomy under PYD , and word is they have transferred 4000 fighters from Qandil to Efrin .

from the allegations going on turkkey wants to annex Efrin and KRG wants Hasaka province which is the largest Kurdistani region in WK vs Efrin . if Saudi can annex Bahrain then KRG can annex Hasaka province , who will stop KRG ! everyone is establishing ties with KRG no one dares to strain relations thanks to our oil & gas reserves .

even in this map Efrin is annexed with turkey which is made by a jew cant recall his name!

That would put us in a very bad situation. If the Syrians and Turks are to fight one another, Turkey will surely try to falsely show that PKK is a sympathizer of Assads regime (as PKK will most likely continue fighting as it will until Kurdish rights are given). This will portray PKK as evil in the eyes of Westerners as all they know about Assad is that he is an evil man (and he is). Even though PKK is not a sympathizer.

It would be ideal if Turkey does nothing, showing that they really are not all they claim to be.

[alan131210]

i do not support the idea , i just mentioned the scenario of what could happen , i am 100% against turks occupying more kurdish lands , which is their ultimate wish .