(AFP, Washington, 5th) A U.S. F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone belonging to Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally, today because the drone was considered a potential threat.
A Turkish Defense Ministry official said that the downed drone was not owned by the Turkish Armed Forces, but did not specify the ownership of the drone.
Turkish security sources said today that Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization launched attacks on Kurdish militant targets in Syria following last weekend’s bomb attack in Ankara.
U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Pat Ryder said that this morning multiple Turkish drones were seen carrying out air strikes about 1 kilometer away from U.S. forces in Hasakah, northeastern Syria. A few hours later, a Turkish drone flew within 0.5 kilometers of the US military and was therefore considered a threat. It was later shot down by a US F-16 fighter jet.
“There is no indication that Turkey is deliberately targeting U.S. forces,” Ryder told the media.
Hasaka is located in northeastern Syria, where the mostly Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) are a key ally in the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, and Ryder said the dialogue between the two sides was “productive.”
The Turkish Defense Ministry said on the social platform X that Minister Yasar Guler told Austin that “Turkey is ready to join forces with the United States to fight against Daesh.” Daesh is another name for the Islamic State.
“Both ministers emphasized the importance of close coordination between U.S. and Turkish forces as they conduct activities in the region,” the statement added.
The relationship between the United States and Türkiye is at a delicate moment. Turkey has previously opposed Sweden’s membership of NATO, but the United States hopes that Turkey will formally approve Sweden’s membership.
Even before the U.S. shot down a Turkish drone, tensions had been rising and there had been close calls. In 2019, U.S. troops stationed in northern Syria came under artillery fire from Turkish positions.
The U.S. military said in a statement that Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown also had a phone call with the Turkish Chief of Staff today to discuss that both sides “must follow the agreement to jointly avoid conflict and ensure the safety of our personnel in Syria.”
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2023-10-06 07:17:37
