US announces to have downed a Turkish drone in Northeast Syria

The United States has announced having targeted and shot down an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) one day after Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's statement that the YPG was a "legitimate target." Accordingly, an American F-16 fighter jet shot down the UCAV flying over a joint base of U.S. and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Northeast Syria.

U.S. officials have revealed that the Turkish UCAV was flying near a base in Northeast Syria where U.S. forces and SDF were present when it was brought down by an American F-16 fighter jet.

This incident, as reported by Reuters journalist İdris Ali on X, marks the first time that the United States has shot down a Turkish aircraft. 

The incident occurred one day after Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared that all facilities under the control of the People's Defense Units (YPG) in Syria were now considered legitimate targets.

Hakan Fidan: PKK ve YPG'nin kontrolündeki tüm tesisler artık meşru hedef

4 Ekim 2023

According to a Reuters report, American officials stated in their remarks following the incident that they had warned Turkish authorities about their activities near U.S. military facilities.

However, a Turkish official speaking to Reuters claimed that the downed UCAV did not belong to the Turkish Armed Forces.

On the other hand, another news article in The Wall Street Journal with the headline "U.S. Jet Shoots Down Turkish Drone Over Syria" quoted an unnamed source who said that Turkey's UCAV was indeed shot down by the U.S. F-16.

Charles Lister, a senior analyst at the Middle East Institute, asserted that the downed UCAV belonged to the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) rather than the Turkish Armed Forces. Lister further explained that MİT had carried out some recent operations in Northeast Syria, targeting individuals allegedly linked to the PKK, including those associated with the October 1 attack in Ankara that the PKK claimed responsibility for. Meanwhile, broader air operations targeting facilities and infrastructure associated with the SDF were being conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces.

The U.S. Department of State expressed concerns about the escalating military tension in northern Syria, particularly its potential impact on the civilian population and the ongoing efforts to defeat ISIS. (AEK/PE)