Syria splashes NATO jet

[XNavyNuke]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/22/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE85D0IS20120622

"Syrian security sources confirmed to a Manar correspondent in Damascus that Syrian defense forces shot down the Turkish fighter jet," the Hezbollah-owned channel said.

Turkey, which had drawn close to Syria before the uprising against Assad, became one of the Syrian leader's fiercest critics when he responded violently to pro-democracy protests inspired by popular upheavals elsewhere in the Arab world.

XNN

 

[robertwerden]

There is your false flag right there

 

[Demigod]

If Turkey is stupid enough to be the pawn that will go to into Syria they are digging their own graves.Every single one of their neighbors is hostile towards them and 20-30% of their population are Kurds that want to form their own country.

Syria is not northern Iraq they have S-300`s and tons of Soviet light mobile AA systems with which they can neutralize their air force and if it comes down to a ground battle it will get bloody as hell.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

At this point they are calling it a mysterious crash:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...h-fighter-jet-mysteriously-crashes-near-syria

Turkish news agencies say a Turkish military warplane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea today off the southern province of Hatay.

Two pilots were said to be aboard, and there are conflicting reports whether they've been rescued or not. The Hurriyet Daily News says both crewmembers were picked up and are in good health. But others, such as Andalou, say only search and rescue operations are underway.

What's puzzling is how the crew came to plunge into the ocean. Turkey's Hatay province borders Syria and both regions lie next to the sea. There is one unconfirmed report from the BBC's Arabic news service citing Syrian eyewitnesses who claim the Turkish jet was shot down, possibly by Syrian air defenses. There's been no word from Turkish authorities on why the plane went down.

 

[Muwahid]

Turkey could most likely decimate Syria. They do have a modern air force, not to mention a massive army. Also there is a massive military force in Jordan, where there are military drills including 19 countries, I hardly think that's a coincidence.

By the way if this is a false flag, does this mean poor Iran is involved since a Hezbollah owned channel reported it?

 

[alucard13mmfmj]

if an uninvited foreign military aircraft flew over your country's airspace... wouldn't you want to shoot it down?

hell, USA got protocols to shoot down CIVILIAN aircraft that passes over whitehouse.

 

[presence]

The office of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says it is “understood” that Syria shot down a Turkish military jet.
[]
The jet was unlikely to be carrying out a simple reconnaissance mission, but was probably a provocative probe to test the Syrian security initiative and ability to protect its borders, believes author and academic Colin S. Cavell. Being a NATO member, Turkey can count on the alliance's support if it comes under attack, he says.

“The F-4 Phantom is utilized and supplied by the US to Turkey, and of course the United States and Turkey can claim that Syria has attacked it,” Cavell told RT. “Of course that would be the ruse they will utilize if they wanted NATO to further intervene.

http://www.rt.com/news/turkish-plane-erdogan-statement-543/

Turkish F-4 warplane 'shot down' near Syrian border

Turkey has said it believes that one of its fighter jets has been shot down by Syrian security forces.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18554246



On the "false flag" subject. Correct me if I'm wrong... but doesn't the USAF still use drone F4's as sitting ducks?

The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (suppression of enemy air defenses) roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996.[]Phantoms remain in front line service with seven countries, and in use as an unmanned target in the U.S. Air Force.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II

It makes easy political fiction to call this false flagged US drone F4 flying under Turkish banner to incite Syria into hostile action.

 

[Zippyjuan]

It is encouraging to note that both sides are working together in searching for the crew of the jet and so far, both are downplaying the event rather than hyping it. From the BBC link:

In a statement, it said a search for the two crew members was under way involving Turkish and Syrian coast guard ships. Once all the circumstances were established, it added that Turkey would respond decisively.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis

Jonathan Head

BBC News, Istanbul

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given the breakdown in relations between the two countries over the Syrian conflict, this incident has the potential to provoke a serious crisis. When gunfire from Syrian forces crossed the Turkish border earlier this year, Ankara threatened a military response.

Much will depend on whether or not the Turkish pilots have survived. If not, public anger might push the government into some kind of punitive action against Syria.

Syria's response will also influence Turkey's reaction. A clear apology, and a statement that the shooting was unintentional, might be enough to assuage Turkish anger.

But then again, we do not know yet whether the aircraft were clearly in Turkish airspace or not. Initial Turkish reports that they came down eight miles from Syrian territorial waters suggests that they were, but Syria may claim otherwise.

"Regarding our pilots, we do not have any information, but at the moment four of our gunboats and some Syrian gunboats are carrying out a joint search there," Mr Erdogan told reporters earlier on Friday evening.

 

[Vanilluxe]

Uh, Turkey has over 75 million people in their population and they have a modern and advanced military. They also have a standing active army of 715,000 personnel with another million or so in reserve. From what I heard, it probably has the capacity to invade Greece and Italy.

 

[SpicyTurkey]

Uh, Turkey has over 75 million people in their population and they have a modern and advanced military. They also have a standing active army of 715,000 personnel with another million or so in reserve. From what I heard, it probably has the capacity to invade Greece and Italy.

True, but you have to understand that its fractured socially. The Kurds, which are a huge chunk of Turkey, want their own independent nation.

 

[Vanilluxe]

True, but you have to understand that its fractured socially. The Kurds, which are a huge chunk of Turkey, want their own independent nation.

Still, Kurds only comprise of 18% of Turkish population. I wonder if the European Union will go into Syria since, Turkey is in the middle of joining the inter-governmental organization.

 

[paulbot24]

With the entire world's gaze on Syria right now, it would be ridiculous for any pilot of any fighter jet to "mistakenly" find themselves in Syrian airspace. Lousy false flag idea. Do the pilots know what their real "mission" is beforehand or do they just find out they're political cannon fodder when they have to eject? Is this heroism? Not very impressive Turkey.

 

[JK/SEA]

It was an accident. They weren't supposed to do that yet.

 

[vita3]

Pretty foolish for Turkey to go into Syrian airspace.

Don't see ANY false flag bs involved in this.

 

[torchbearer]

it could be an accident, but it could be a great way to probe a country's defenses and act like its an accident. if war plans are being made, info was just gathered as to air defenses in that area.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Latest news:

http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-weighs-response-syria-downs-turkish-jet-100218172.html

ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Turkish and Syrian navies conducted a joint search on Saturday for Turkish airmen shot down by Syria over the Mediterranean, only a short distance from a Turkish province hosting thousands of rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad.

Signals from both sides suggested neither wanted a military confrontation over Friday's shooting down of the jet near their borders. However, the joint operation will clearly sit uneasily with both forces, given the bitter hostility between the two former allies over Assad's 16-month-old crackdown on opponents.
...

 

[Brian4Liberty]

if an uninvited foreign military aircraft flew over your country's airspace... wouldn't you want to shoot it down?

No. Quite a few things need to happen before going to the final level of escalation.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

It was an accident. They weren't supposed to do that yet.

Probably itchy trigger fingers somewhere.

it could be an accident, but it could be a great way to probe a country's defenses and act like its an accident. if war plans are being made, info was just gathered as to air defenses in that area.

Yep, that too.

 

[oyarde]

Turkey will retaliate , I base this on the past .

 

[danielboon]

"Syria shot Turkish plane without warning" Ankara says

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News


REUTERS photo
Murat [email protected]
The Turkish government has refuted a statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry that said Damascus acted in self-defense in shooting down a Turkish warplane on June 22, Turkish sources told the Hürriyet Daily News today.
“We have necessary information showing that the Turkish plane was shot at without any warning,” an official source said on condition of anonymity.
“We are 100 percent right and the act of Syrian regime is against all dynamics of international law,” Ömer Çelik, the deputy chairman in charge of foreign policy for the ruling Justi ce and Development Party (AK Parti), said on his Twitter account. “All data about the incident confirms that.”
A more detailed announcement about Turkey’s reaction is expected to be made tomorrow (Sunday) morning by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who has attended all three high-level security meetings and has been engaged in intense diplomacy since the incident took place.
One June 22, a Turkish F-4 Phantom reconnaissance plane which took off from an air base in the eastern province of Malatya, which also hosts the NATO-run missile shield radar, was shot down by Syria’s air defense system near the Syrian city of Latakia, which is close to the Russian naval base at Tartus.
The Syrian government said it shot down the plane in Syrian air space in self-defense before realizing that it was a Turkish plane. The aircraft’s two Turkish pilots are still missing.
Davutoğlu’s telephone diplomacy included the secretary general of the United Nations, the foreign ministers of all P5+1 countries (the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China and Germany), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Iran (which also called Ankara to “express concern”), the foreign and security commissioner of the European Union and the secretary general of the Arab League, a diplomatic source told the Daily News.
In another important development, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has asked for appointments from the leaders of the other three main political parties in the Turkish Parliament on Sunday in order to explain the details of the incident and discuss the matter, the Prime Minister’s Office has announced.
This is an unusual move and has caused speculation about a possible parliamentary decision which is a requirement for any foreign military action according to the Turkish Constitution. “We are not considering a military action now,” a source told the Daily News. “But we want to inform the opposition and we want to keep all options open.”
The opposition has taken an unusually calm stance regarding the downed plane. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), told reporters that there were “a lot of questions to ask” but that the situation currently had to be dealt with calmly.
Turkish-Syrian relations have been deteriorating since the Bashar al-Assad regime started to crush the Syrian opposition, which has been demanding more rights as a result of the Arab Spring.
Currently there are more than 33,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey, including 12 army officers above the rank of brigadier-general or higher. Also, the Syrian National Council and the Free Syrian Army have their main headquarters in Turkey.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has recently denied press report saying that Ankara is financially supporting the smuggling of arms from the CIA to Syrian opposition groups.http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syr...&NewsCatID=338