Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, one chopper belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces was shot down and two soldiers were killed in the southeastern province of Hatay during Turkey's Operation Olive Branch on Feb. 10.
Erdoğan also said "the perpetrators will pay a heavy price" for downing the Turkish helicopter, and that losses such as the chopper incident were expected to happen in battletime.
Two soldiers were killed in the incident, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım told journalists. Yıldırım said, it was not certain at this point whether the incident occured due to an external impact or not. Investigations are ongoing, he added.
ANHA news agency claimed that the chopper was shot by the YPG.
On Jan. 20, Turkey launched “Operation Olive Branch” against the YPG militants in Afrin in northwestern Syria. (DHA)
Yusuf Karadaş
Yücel Özdemir
Ceren Sözeri