Missile downed Turkish jet, deputy PM says

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet photo

A Turkish  F-4 jet that was downed on June 22 was hit by a missile launched by Syria, according to Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay, daily Hürriyet has reported.
 
Though Atalay said the cause had not yet been confirmed by Air Force units, the object that most probably brought down the Turkish jet was a Russian-made missile.
 
The missiles, of which Syria is a known owner, are heat-sensitive and require no radar system to locate airplanes.
 
Confirmation will only come after further investigation by Air Force units, Atalay said.
 
There has been much speculation surrounding the downing of the plane since it was struck on June 22. Turkey has long said it was struck by Syria in international waters, while Damascus has claimed that it was hit with anti-aircraft fire close to the Arab republic’s coast.