Sonic boom of F-16 jet stirs panic in Turkish capital

Aysel Alp - ANKARA

File photo

A sonic boom that shook buildings and was heard throughout Ankara on July 23 stirred panic on social media. 

The loud bang was heard in almost the whole of the Turkish capital at around 3 p.m. Many locals flocked to news websites and social media to learn about its cause.

Officials failed to provide a quick explanation to the public, paving way for rumors alleging that the boom was caused by an accident at a rocket factory in Ankara.

Other rumors suggested various explanations including a controlled explosion for a road construction and baseless claims about a terror attack.

After almost an hour, Ankara Governor Ercan Topaca released a statement, announcing that the cause of the noise was a sonic boom created by an F-16 jet flying over Ankara for a test by the Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) modernization project.

“It was an authorized flight and nothing negative was reported,” he said.