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A US fighter jet has shot down a Turkish drone in northeastern Syria in what the Pentagon described as a “regrettable incident” that comes at a time of increased tensions between the Nato allies.
Pat Ryder, the spokesperson for the Pentagon, said the action had been taken in “self defence” by an F-16 jet, but added that there was no indication that Turkey was targeting US forces.
Around 7.30am local time US forces in Syria spotted drones conducting strikes inside a “declared restricted US operating zone” about 1km from US forces, Ryder said. A Turkish drone then re-entered the zone four hours later, leading US military commanders to assess that it was a “potential threat”. A fighter shot down the drone about 10 minutes later, he said.
Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, spoke about the matter with Turkey’s defence minister Yaşar Güler on Thursday. Austin insisted US forces were in Syria only to support the global coalition fighting terror group Isis, and the two vowed to keep co-ordinating closely, Ryder said. He added Turkey remained a “valuable” partner to Washington.
Thursday’s drone incident comes after a suicide bombing targeted Turkey’s interior ministry in Ankara on Sunday, which injured two police officers. A civilian was also killed when the assailants hijacked his car prior to the attack, which took place on the same day the country’s parliament was reopening from its summer recess.
The Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), a separatist group that has fought a years-long insurgency in Turkey, took responsibility for the attack. Ankara retaliated within 12 hours of the bombing, launching air raids on sites in northern Iraq where the group is based.
Turkey’s government on Wednesday evening said its investigation found both of the suicide bombers had come from Syria. Foreign minister Hakan Fidan said both the PKK and another group called the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) would be targeted in Iraq and Syria.
“All infrastructure, superstructure facilities, energy facilities belonging to the PKK/YPG in Iraq and Syria are the total legitimate targets of our security forces from now on,” Fidan said.
Turkey hit 30 targets affiliated with the PKK and YPG in northern Syria in air raids on Thursday, according to the defence ministry. The targets included an oil facility, bunkers and warehouses.
Turkey and the US have designated the PKK a terror organisation. Ankara views the YPG as synonymous with the PKK. Washington, however, has supported the YPG through an umbrella organisation known as Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since the group has helped push back Isis in northern Syria.
Turkey’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the downing of the drone on Thursday evening.
The incident comes at a fraught moment in relations between the west and Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed in July to approve Sweden’s request to join the Nato military alliance. But Turkey’s parliament has yet to ratify the request, which was made following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, despite strong pressure from Washington and Brussels.
Turkey’s vice-president Cevdet Yılmaz told the Financial Times last month that Ankara expects Sweden to take further “concrete” measures to fight extremist groups within its borders, including the PKK and YPG, before parliament is likely to approve its accession.
Ankara is also strongly lobbying Washington to approve its request to buy billions of dollars worth of F-16 fighter jets. The Joe Biden administration has said it is supportive of the purchases, but it has been held up in Congress, which must approve the deal.
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