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2023 drone shootdown in Syria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 5 October 2023, at approximately 11:30 AM local time, a Turkish combat drone was shot down by a United States Air Force F-16 near US forces in the Al-Hasakah region of Syria.[1][2]
TAI Anka-S drone of the Turkish Air Force | |
| Shootdown | |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 October 2023 |
| Summary | Shot-down by a US F-16 |
| Site | Near Tell Beydar, Hasakah Governorate, Syria |
Turkey has frequently criticized the United States for providing aid to the Kurdish YPG in Syria, which Turkey views as a terrorist organization allied with the outlawed PKK. Following the 2023 Ankara bombing, Turkey began to launch airstrikes on targets in the SDF-controlled zones of Syria. Turkey has stated that a ground operation in Kurdish-controlled zones of Syria is an option that it could consider in retaliation for the 2023 Ankara bombing.[2][3]
According to US officials cited by Politico, a Turkish Bayraktar TB2[1] drone was being used in Syria near the position of US troops. The United States attempted to contact Turkey a dozen times to warn them, but to no avail. They then resolved to shoot down the drone using an F-16.[4] The US claimed that the drone had been flying in an "unsynchronized" and "unsafe" way. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and local sources confirmed that a Turkish drone was shot down by US forces.[2][5][6]
In the vicinity of Al-Hasakah, Syria, several Turkish strikes occurred at 7:30 AM local time, with some of them inside a US-declared restricted operating zone. The drones were situated approximately one kilometer away from US forces, prompting them to relocate to bunkers. Later, at 11:30 AM local time, a Turkish drone initially identified as a Bayraktar TB2 breached the restricted operating zone once again. U.S. commanders evaluated the drone as a "possible threat," resulting in the F-16 shooting it down.[7] The drone model of the combat drone was identified as a TAI Anka-S drone afterwards in more precise reports.[8][9][10]
Turkey's Defense Minister denied that the drone was of Turkish origin but did not provide an explanation about its source.[2] The Pentagon stated that the shooting down of the drone was a "regrettable incident" and that it was done in self-defense. The Defense Ministers of both the United States and Turkey held a call together to discuss the matter.[1] According to the Turkish Defence Minister, the US F-16 that destroyed the drone took off from Jordan and not from the US base at Incirlik, Turkey.[11]
On 10 October, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, said :[12]
"The US downed Türkiye's UAV in Syria. Isn't Türkiye US' NATO ally? How do we make sense of this? The US acts like a partner whenever it wants to but trains terrorist groups in Syria at other times."
He also said that Turkey would do what is "necessary" after this act.[13]
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