Turkey says it shot down drone at Syrian border after repeated warnings

Turkish jets on Friday shot down an unidentified drone that had violated Turkey’s airspace at the border with Syria, the military said.

The drone was shot down after it ignored three warnings for it to leave, the military said, adding that it was not immediately known which country the aircraft belonged to. It crashed in Turkish territory.

Turkey earlier this month had complained about Russian warplanes violating its airspace, intrusions that also drew strong condemnation from Turkey’s NATO allies.

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The United States, Russia and the Syrian government all operate drones in the region.

Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian defense ministry, told Russian news agencies Friday that all Russian jets had safely returned to their base and all Russian drones “are functioning normally.”

The Lebanon-based pro-Syrian Al-Mayadeen TV quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as saying that no Syrian or Russian warplane or drone was shot down over Turkey. The official added that no Syrian or Russian aircraft had violated Turkey’s airspace.

There was no immediate comment on the drone by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.

Since 2013, Turkey has shot down a Syrian military jet, a helicopter and an unmanned surveillance drone that have strayed into its airspace. The incidents occurred after it changed its rules of engagement following the downing of a Turkish fighter jet by Syria.

Turkey has also reported numerous incidents of harassment of its F-16 jets patrolling the Syrian border by Syrian fighter planes or Syria-based surface-to-air missile systems’ radar locking on them.

To ease tensions with Russia, a high-level Russian delegation led by the country’s deputy air force commander held talks Thursday with Turkish military officials in Ankara. The military said the sides had discussed measures Russia was taking to avoid further incidents.

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