Syrian, Russian and
U.S. coalition aircraft are
flying combat missions near Turkey 's
borders as part of the Syrian civil war. The drone incident highlights the
danger that Turkey ,
with the second largest army in NATO, could be drawn into a military
confrontation.
"We downed a
drone yesterday. If it was a plane we'd do the same. Our rules of engagement
are known. Whoever violates our borders, we will give them the necessary
answer," Davutoglu told a rally of his ruling AK Party in the central city
of Kayseri .
A U.S. official said on Friday Washington
believed it was of Russian origin, but the Russian defense ministry said all of
its planes in Syria
had safely returned to base and that all its drones were operating "as
planned".
The Turkish
military said it shot down the unmanned aircraft after it continued on its
course despite three warnings, in line with its rules of engagement.
Broadcaster NTV said it had come 3 km (2 miles) into Turkish air space.
The Russian Defence
Ministry said on Friday it had established direct contact with the Turkish
military to avoid incidents with flights near the border, Interfax news agency
reported.
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