Turkey PM: We Downed Syria Jet in Airspace 'Slap'

PM says it violated its airspace; Syria calls move 'blatant aggression'
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 23, 2014 8:25 AM CDT
Turkey PM: We Downed Syria Jet in Airspace 'Slap'
In this Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, file photo, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news briefing.   (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

Days after Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attempt at eradicating Twitter didn't go so well, the Turkish PM is confirming that his armed forces shot down a Syrian fighter jet after it violated Turkish airspace, reports the BBC. " A Syrian plane violated our airspace," he told a rally today, as per Reuters. "Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? Because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard." The incident comes at a place near the border where Syrian rebels and regime forces have long struggled for control. A Syrian military spokesman denounced the hit as "blatant aggression" on Turkey's part, reports the AP. (More Turkey stories.)

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