A senior commander has told authorities don’t have any image of a projectile applied in the downing by Syria of a military jet last month, firing suspicions over whether the aircraft was in fact hit by a missile.
The RF-4E Phantom jet had a missile detection system so its pilots would have been able to comprehend a projectile threat beforehand, Brig. Gen. Baki Kavun was cited as telling . “Our jet had a missile detection system. So if there had been any missile threat, the system would have noticed it,” Kavun stated.
The jet — an weaponless reconnaissance mission version of the F4 fighter jet — was downed by Syria over the Mediterranean on June 22. Turkey told it was hit by a missile in international air space while it was on a mission to try domestic radar systems, while Syria lays claim that the aircraft was downed by anti-aircraft fire well within its airspace. Lack of evidence affirming that the plane was downed by a missile has resulted in questions in the Turkish media over whether the aircraft was really in international air space. If it was hit by anti-aircraft fire, as Syria asserts, it would be a strong indicant that the plane was inside the Syrian airspace, given the fact that the anti-aircraft fire isn’t able to hit targets from a long distance because of their very short range.
When demanded if Turkey had any footage or radar image resolutely affirming that the plane was downed by a projectile, Kavun said, “there’s no image of a missile.” He told parts of the wreckage of the plan which were found at a depth of more than 1,000 meters last week, were still being tested while work is also under way to recover the remaining pieces of the plane, including its main body, being still in the sea.
He stated examination of these pieces would display the truth on how the plane was shot down, which would then be shared with the public.
Replying to questions on the distrusts, President Abdullah Gül stated on Monday that affirmations made by Turkish officials concerning the downing of the jet have been consistent, calling on those who have documents or evidence advising otherwise to uncover them to the public.
“Read the statements which were made by our institutions after the pushing down of our jet again and think of the location where our jet was retrieved. There’s a consistence in our affirmations,” Gül stated on a joint news conference with his Beninese counterpart, Thomas Boni Yayi, in Ankara.
Telling that the parts from the wreckage of the plane are being analysed, Gül stated a final statement will be made after the results of the forensic examination are available. “Whoever has any documents, apart from this, should make them public,” Gül added.
In remarks which were published on Monday, Gen. Necdet Özel ( Chief of General Staff ) restated that the jet was shot down in international waters. “We have radar images and photos, affirming that clearly. Our plane was downed in international airspace,” Özel asserted, on an interview .
Özel has stated Turkey will do what every great state does in reaction to Syria’s shooting down of its military jet last month, telling everybody will see Turkey’s response, although it wouldn’t signify engaging a war.
Asked what Turkey is planning to do in reaction to the death of the 2 military pilots in the plane, Özel told that Turkey has “every kind of military capability” and is closely coming after the situation, without complicating further.
“Naturally, it’s not like we’ll begin a war,” the military chief stated on the interview. “We’ll do what every great state must do . You’ll see what we’ll do when we do it,” Özel emphasised.
