By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Rescue teams have located the wreckage of a Turkish jet, shot down by Syrian forces two days ago, a media report said Sunday.
According to TRT state television of Turkey, the jet’s wreckage was found in the Mediterranean waters at a depth of 1,000 to 1,300 metres. The search and rescue teams were searching for the two missing pilots in coordination with the Syrians.
The RF-4E reconnaissance aircraft disappeared over the Mediterranean, near the Syrian coast, at about 09.00 GMT Friday.
On Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused Syria of shooing down the jet in international airspace.
The Turkish reconnaissance plane “was performing a test and training flight to control the operation of the national radar and its flight was not aimed against Syria”, said the minister, adding that it was shot down in international airspace and fell in Syria’s territorial waters.
Turkey as a NATO member country had requested an extraordinary NATO meeting over the jet downing, the minister further said.
Syria, however, maintains that it shot down the Turkish warplane over its territorial waters after it intruded into its airspace.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry has said this was not an act of aggression against Turkey but defence of the country’s sovereignty.