Turkish report: Syrian missile shot down warplane

Ankara's military prosecutor concludes that Turkish fighter jet was shot down in international air space.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Turkish F-4 fighter jets 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Stringer Turkey)
Turkish F-4 fighter jets 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Stringer Turkey)
A report by the Turkish Military Prosecutor's Office has determined that a Syrian missile shot down a Turkish warplane in international air space in June, Turkish daily newspaper Hürriyet reported Thursday.
Investigators discovered traces of material found in missiles on the Israeli-upgraded Turkish fighter jet, despite finding no indication the missiles hit the warplane, according to the report.
“Parts of the retrieved plane wreck were given a metallurgic examination, and traces of potassium chlorate, which is used as an oxidizing agent in missile fuels and as the main substance in missile warheads, were found splashed on the plane’s fuselage,” the report said.
Experts claimed the blast effect of the missile was sufficient to shoot down the plane without having to hit it.
The report also debunks Syrian claims that the plane was shot down within Syrian air space with anti-aircraft guns, saying there was no damage found on the plane that could have been caused by anti-aircraft fire. Furthermore, investigators found no indication of a technical malfunction that might have caused the plane's crash.
Experts were quoted in the Hürriyet Daily News criticizing the report, claiming there is not enough information in the report to confirm that it was a Syrian missile that hit the plane.