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Turkey Says It Shot Down Syrian Military Helicopter Flying in Its Airspace Turkey Says It Shot Down Syrian Military Helicopter Flying in Its Airspace
(about 1 hour later)
ISTANBUL — The Turkish government said Monday that one of its fighter planes shot down a Syrian military helicopter that had flown into Turkish airspace, a potentially significant escalation of tensions between the neighbors and former allies, now bitterly divided over Syria’s civil war.ISTANBUL — The Turkish government said Monday that one of its fighter planes shot down a Syrian military helicopter that had flown into Turkish airspace, a potentially significant escalation of tensions between the neighbors and former allies, now bitterly divided over Syria’s civil war.
An F-16 warplane intercepted a Russian-built Mi-17 helicopter as it crossed Turkey’s southern border, Turkish officials said. The helicopter’s crew was repeatedly warned by radio and did not turn back, they said. When the helicopter had strayed roughly a mile across the border, the jet fired on it, the officials said, and it crashed to the ground in Syria.An F-16 warplane intercepted a Russian-built Mi-17 helicopter as it crossed Turkey’s southern border, Turkish officials said. The helicopter’s crew was repeatedly warned by radio and did not turn back, they said. When the helicopter had strayed roughly a mile across the border, the jet fired on it, the officials said, and it crashed to the ground in Syria.
“No one, from now on, will dare to violate Turkish borders in any way,” the Turkish foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, told reporters in Paris on Monday evening, according to the semiofficial Anatolian News Agency.“No one, from now on, will dare to violate Turkish borders in any way,” the Turkish foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, told reporters in Paris on Monday evening, according to the semiofficial Anatolian News Agency.
The Syrian Army confirmed that it had lost a helicopter that it said was on a reconnaissance mission and had mistakenly crossed into Turkish territory.The Syrian Army confirmed that it had lost a helicopter that it said was on a reconnaissance mission and had mistakenly crossed into Turkish territory.
The Syrian Army Command denounced Turkey’s reaction as “hasty.” Referring to Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it said the move was evidence of what it called the “real intentions of Erdogan’s government towards Syria, which is seeking escalation at the borders of the two countries,” the Syrian state news agency reported. The Syrian Army Command denounced Turkey’s reaction as “hasty” and said it was evidence of what it called the “real intentions of Erdogan’s government towards Syria, which is seeking escalation at the borders of the two countries,” the Syrian state news agency reported.
The military action seemed to amplify the Turkish government’s increasing calls for a more muscular international response to the civil war in Syria.The military action seemed to amplify the Turkish government’s increasing calls for a more muscular international response to the civil war in Syria.
Mr. Erdogan was one of the first world leaders to call for the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, and he has strongly backed the Syrian rebels. In recent weeks, Mr. Erdogan has called for a broad military intervention that would destabilize Mr. Assad’s government and force him from power — a position that has put the prime minister at odds with the Turkish public, which opposes any military role in the crisis. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey was one of the first world leaders to call for the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, and he has strongly backed the Syrian rebels. In recent weeks, Mr. Erdogan has called for a broad military intervention that would destabilize Mr. Assad’s government and force him from power — a position that has put the prime minister at odds with the Turkish public, which opposes any military role in the crisis.
Mr. Erdogan has also reacted coolly to a plan by the United States and Russia to destroy or remove Syria’s chemical weapons, saying it would buy Mr. Assad more time. Mr. Davutoglu said Monday that the agreement “does not serve as an end to the Syrian crisis,” which he warned could escalate further even without chemical weapons.Mr. Erdogan has also reacted coolly to a plan by the United States and Russia to destroy or remove Syria’s chemical weapons, saying it would buy Mr. Assad more time. Mr. Davutoglu said Monday that the agreement “does not serve as an end to the Syrian crisis,” which he warned could escalate further even without chemical weapons.
Until Monday, Turkey had largely refrained from unilateral military action against Mr. Assad’s forces, even after Syria shot down a Turkish warplane in June 2012 and after stray shelling from Syria killed five civilians in a Turkish border village. Nor did the government retaliate in May, after it blamed Turkish citizens backed by Syrian intelligence agencies for twin car bombings that killed scores of people in the Turkish border town of Reyhanli.Until Monday, Turkey had largely refrained from unilateral military action against Mr. Assad’s forces, even after Syria shot down a Turkish warplane in June 2012 and after stray shelling from Syria killed five civilians in a Turkish border village. Nor did the government retaliate in May, after it blamed Turkish citizens backed by Syrian intelligence agencies for twin car bombings that killed scores of people in the Turkish border town of Reyhanli.
Turkey has shored up its defenses along its border with Syria, partly by deploying Patriot missile batteries. Parliament revised the military rules of engagement last year to allow retaliation against Syrian attacks. Turkey has shored up its defenses along its 550-mile-long border with Syria, including by deploying Patriot missile batteries. The Parliament revised the military’s rules of engagement last year to allow the army to retaliate against Syrian attacks.
Turkish officials framed the downing of the helicopter on Monday as a defensive action that came after repeated warnings, rather than the kind of aggressive attack on Mr. Assad’s air force that the Syrian rebels have been pressing their international allies to conduct.Turkish officials framed the downing of the helicopter on Monday as a defensive action that came after repeated warnings, rather than the kind of aggressive attack on Mr. Assad’s air force that the Syrian rebels have been pressing their international allies to conduct.
The Turkish military said that it began tracking the Syrian helicopter at 1:41 p.m., when the aircraft was 26 nautical miles from the border, and that warnings had been repeated until it was about five miles away. Officials released radar tracking that showed what the military said was the path of the helicopter, hugging the border in Syria’s Idlib Province for a time before crossing into Turkish territory, near the town of Yayladagi. The Turkish military said it had begun tracking the Syrian helicopter at 1:41 p.m., when the aircraft was 26 nautical miles from the border, and that warnings had been repeated until it was about five miles away. Officials released radar tracking that showed what the military said was the path of the helicopter, hugging the border in Syria’s Idlib Province for a time before crossing into Turkish territory, near the town of Yayladagi.
The helicopter crashed less than a mile inside Syrian territory. On Monday in Ankara, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said there was no information on the fate of the helicopter’s crew.The helicopter crashed less than a mile inside Syrian territory. On Monday in Ankara, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said there was no information on the fate of the helicopter’s crew.
Rebel activists in Syria asserted on Monday that a Syrian warplane had been shot down. Rebel groups quoted by the Anatolian News Agency said that rebel fighters had shot down a Syrian Air Force MIG-21. It was not possible to determine whether the rebels and Turkish officials were referring to separate episodes.Rebel activists in Syria asserted on Monday that a Syrian warplane had been shot down. Rebel groups quoted by the Anatolian News Agency said that rebel fighters had shot down a Syrian Air Force MIG-21. It was not possible to determine whether the rebels and Turkish officials were referring to separate episodes.
Videos posted by rebel activists showed images of a fireball in the sky and what appeared to be someone with a parachute drifting toward the ground. One rebel fighter said he saw members of a jihadist brigade capture and behead a crew member.Videos posted by rebel activists showed images of a fireball in the sky and what appeared to be someone with a parachute drifting toward the ground. One rebel fighter said he saw members of a jihadist brigade capture and behead a crew member.
The fighter provided an image purporting to show the severed head of the slain Syrian airman, but neither his account nor the picture’s authenticity could be independently confirmed.The fighter provided an image purporting to show the severed head of the slain Syrian airman, but neither his account nor the picture’s authenticity could be independently confirmed.

Kareem Fahim reported from Istanbul, and Sebnem Arsu from New York. Ceylan Yeginsu and Karam Shoumali contributed reporting from Istanbul.

Kareem Fahim reported from Istanbul, and Sebnem Arsu from New York. Ceylan Yeginsu and Karam Shoumali contributed reporting from Istanbul.