The United States intercepted an armed drone of Turkish origin near its forces in Syria, marking the first instance of Washington taking down an aircraft from its NATO ally.
A Turkish defense ministry spokesperson stated that the drone did not belong to the Turkish armed forces, though its owner remained undisclosed.
This incident occurred shortly after Turkey’s national intelligence agency conducted strikes in Syria against Kurdish militant targets following a recent bombing in Ankara.
Pentagon spokesperson Brig Gen Patrick Ryder revealed that Turkish drones had been conducting airstrikes in Hasakah, Syria, approximately 1 kilometer away from U.S. troops.
A few hours later, another Turkish drone approached U.S. troops within half a kilometer, posing a perceived threat and prompting its interception by F-16 aircraft.
Ryder emphasized that there was no evidence of intentional targeting of U.S. forces by Turkey.
“We have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting US forces,” Ryder said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin engaged in a productive conversation with his Turkish counterpart after the incident.
The U.S. is hopeful for Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership. While this incident marks the first time the U.S. has taken down a Turkish aircraft, tensions and close encounters have been a recurring issue, such as when U.S. troops in northern Syria faced artillery fire from Turkish positions in 2019.
The U.S.’s support for Kurdish forces in northern Syria has long been a point of contention with Turkey, which regards them as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the group responsible for the recent attack in Ankara.
Turkey has suggested the possibility of a ground operation in Syria. In recent developments, Turkish attacks have extended into northern Syria, involving more than 15 drones targeting various assets, including oil and gas facilities and infrastructure.
These attacks resulted in casualties among both security forces and civilians.
“Our only goal is to eliminate the terrorist organisations that pose a threat to Turkey. A ground operation is one of the options to eliminate this threat, but it is not the only option for us,” an official said.
Turkey has also intensified its operations against the PKK through airstrikes in northern Iraq, considering infrastructure and energy facilities controlled by the PKK and YPG in Iraq and Syria as legitimate military targets.
