ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc stated on Monday that a Syrian helicopter was crashed by Turkish fighter jets at 14:25 along Turkish-Syrian border.
Speaking in a press conference after the Council of Ministers meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkish capital Ankara, Arinc said a PI 17 helicopter at 14:20 on Monday committed a 2 km border violation into Turkish Hatay province's Yayaladagi Guvecci region along border with Syria.
"Though being warned continuously by air defense elements for many times, the violation continued and our airplanes taking off from Malatya airport hit the helicopter with missiles which then crashed in the Syrian side," Arinc said. "Till now, we have not received any information on its crew because it crashed into the Syrian side."
Reminding that Turkey's air surveillance flies on the basis of 24 hours, Arinc noted Turkey's rules of engagement changed and a new practice was executed after being continuously attacked and disturbed thereby in especially Akcakale and Viransehir regions.
Assad to continue to kill people
Arinc stated that Syria's Assad and his supporters still held conventional weapons, so they would continue to kill people.
He said around 120,000 people have been killed in Syria according to United Nation's (UN) data, which has not been denied by Syrian administration.
"These people have not been killed with chemical weapons, but 110,000 people have been killed with conventional weapons (in Syria)" said Arinc.
Arinc referred to the protocol signed between USA and Russia on a roadmap to destroy Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons by mid-2014, saying, "Just the usage of chemical weapons has been discussed at the agreement."
"Assad and his supporters are still vested with conventional weapons, so they will continue to kill people." said Arinc.
