F-16 jets sent to border as Syrian planes approached Turkish airspace: Army

ANKARA

Hürriyet Photo

Turkey sent four F-16 fighter jets to the border as Syrian aircraft approached Turkish airspace on Oct. 5, Turkish armed forced have said.

Two F-16 fighter jets scrambled from Diyarbakır airbase for patrolling, then headed to the region as Syrian planes approached the border, said the statement yesterday.

One Syrian SU-24 plane approached the Öncüpınar/Kilis border region, and then moved away only 5.6 sea miles from the Turkish border, the army said yesterday, adding that the Syrian SU-24 plane approached to Cilvegözü/Hatay border region, and moved back 8.6 sea miles from the Turkish border.

Turkish warplanes headed to the region as a Syrian SU-24 plane approached the southern border of Öncüpınar/Kilis, which then moved away only 10 sea miles from the Turkish border, said the statement.

Two other F-16 warplanes scrambled from İncirlik airbase for routine patrolling duty, headed for the border as Syrian MI-17 helicopter approached the border of southern Karbeyaz/Hatay, but the Syrian air vehicle moved away 4 sea miles from the Turkish border, said the statement.