.jpg) An RF-4E Phantom II of the Turkish Air Force, similar to the one involved | |
| Shootdown | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 June 2012 |
| Summary | Shootdown by Syrian Army anti-aircraft fire |
| Site | Syria–Turkey border 35°50′01″N 35°30′36″E / 35.8335°N 35.5099°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantom II |
| Operator |  Turkish Air Force |
| Registration | 77-0314[1] |
| Flight origin | Erhaç Air Base |
| Occupants | 2 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On 22 June 2012, a Turkish McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantom II reconnaissance jet was intercepted and shot down by the Syrian Army in international airspace, after having violated Syrian airspace.[2][3] The jet's pilots were killed; both Turkish and Syrian forces searched for them before recovering their bodies in early July. The incident was part of a series of incidents between Turkey and Syria since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War and greatly escalated the tensions between the two countries.
- ^ "Bugüne kadar 12 RF-4E uçağı düştü". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- ^ "Assad regrets downing of Turkish jet, says won’t allow open combat with Ankara". Al Arabiya News, 3 July 2012. Retrieved: 3 July 2012.
- ^ "Syrian military says it downed Turkish fighter jet". BBC News. BBC. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012.