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Turkish PM says drone downed last week was Russian-made

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IANS Istanbul

A drone shot down last week by Turkish fighter jets within the country's airspace was Russian-made, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday.

Speaking on Turkey's AHaber TV, Davutoglu said the drone may be an asset of the Syrian government headed by President Bashar al-Assad, or of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), or of other forces.

The drone was downed and seized by the Turkish military last Friday near the border with Syria, and the move came after twice incursions into Turkish airspace by two Russian fighters on October 3 and 4 strained Ankara-Moscow ties.

Russia, which started air raids on Islamic State (IS) targets inside Syria on September 30, said the drone was not its asset.

 

Davutoglu said that the downing of the drone had a "deterrent" effect and that he hoped Russia would show a "more careful" stance after earlier incursions.

Turkey joined the US-led air raids on Islamic State in July, and the US is arming the PYD in its battle against the IS.

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First Published: Oct 19 2015 | 8:54 PM IST

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