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| Syria Crisis: Tensions rise after Turkey says it shot down Syrian warplane | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Turkish fighter jets shot down a Syrian warplane after it violated Turkey's airspace Sunday, Turkey's prime minister said, in a move likely to ramp up tensions between the two countries already deeply at odds over Syria's civil war. | Turkish fighter jets shot down a Syrian warplane after it violated Turkey's airspace Sunday, Turkey's prime minister said, in a move likely to ramp up tensions between the two countries already deeply at odds over Syria's civil war. |
| A spokesman for Syria's military confirmed the incident, saying the plane was downed in Syrian airspace while attacking rebels. The unnamed spokesman quoted on Syrian state TV called the act a "blatant aggression," and said the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft. | A spokesman for Syria's military confirmed the incident, saying the plane was downed in Syrian airspace while attacking rebels. The unnamed spokesman quoted on Syrian state TV called the act a "blatant aggression," and said the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft. |
| Turkey, once an ally of Syria, has emerged over the past three years as one of the main backers of Syrian opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. | Turkey, once an ally of Syria, has emerged over the past three years as one of the main backers of Syrian opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. |
| Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at a rally in northwestern Turkey ahead of local elections on March 30, congratulated the Turkish military for protecting the border. | Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at a rally in northwestern Turkey ahead of local elections on March 30, congratulated the Turkish military for protecting the border. |
| "If you violate our border, our slap will be hard," he said. | "If you violate our border, our slap will be hard," he said. |
| According to Turkish news reports, the jet went down in a buffer zone along the border near an area where fighting has spiked in recent days. Syrian government troops are trying to retake a border crossing point with Turkey near the town of Kassab that rebels captured Friday. | According to Turkish news reports, the jet went down in a buffer zone along the border near an area where fighting has spiked in recent days. Syrian government troops are trying to retake a border crossing point with Turkey near the town of Kassab that rebels captured Friday. |
| This is not the first time that the Turkish military has downed a Syrian aircraft near the border. | This is not the first time that the Turkish military has downed a Syrian aircraft near the border. |
| In September, a Turkish fighter jet shot down a Syrian military helicopter after it entered Turkish airspace. The helicopter strayed 2 kilometers (more than 1 mile) into Turkish airspace, but crashed inside Syria after being hit by missiles fired from the jet, Turkish officials said at the time. | In September, a Turkish fighter jet shot down a Syrian military helicopter after it entered Turkish airspace. The helicopter strayed 2 kilometers (more than 1 mile) into Turkish airspace, but crashed inside Syria after being hit by missiles fired from the jet, Turkish officials said at the time. |
| Turkey changed its rules of engagement in 2012 after Syria shot down a Turkish military plane, declaring that any Syrian military element approaching the Turkish border would be treated as a legitimate target. | Turkey changed its rules of engagement in 2012 after Syria shot down a Turkish military plane, declaring that any Syrian military element approaching the Turkish border would be treated as a legitimate target. |
| AP | AP |