Turkish military helicopter shot down near Syria: Erdoghan

Turkish President Rajab Tayyib Erdoghan says one of the country’s military helicopters has been shot down near the border with Syria.

Erdoghan said Saturday that the helicopter was participating in the Turkish military offensive in northern Syria when it was shot down while flying over an area in Turkey's Hatay province.

He said Turkey would respond harshly to the attack and that the “perpetrators” would pay a “heavy price” for the downing.

Later, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told the local media that two Turkish servicemen had been killed in the incident.

For nearly a month, Turkey has been engaged in a massive military operation in northwestern Syria with an alleged aim of neutralizing a threat by Kurds from the city of Afrin and surrounding areas in the Syrian province of Aleppo.

In his televised statement, Erdoghan did not blame the Kurds or any other party for the downing of the helicopter.

There was no comment from the Turkish military on the incident, which according to Erdoghan' statement took place around noon local time and in the southern border of Hatay.

A Kurdish militia spokesman, identified as Mustafa Bali, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the helicopter was downed by fighters in Raju, northwestern Afrin.

SS