Turkish F-16 Fighters Ordered to Shoot Down Choppers Stolen by Coup Plotters: Source
ANKARA (Tasnim) – An informed source with the Turkish Army said the identification codes of helicopters stolen by coup plotters have been given to the army’s F-16 fighter jets to find and destroy them.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, the military source pointed to an order issued on Sunday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he instructed military combat planes to conduct patrols across Turkey’s airspace, saying that the F-16 fighter jets will fly patrol sorties over sensitive areas.
He added that the jets have been ordered to open fire at the stolen shoppers and to that end, the copters’ identification codes have been given to the aircraft.
The Turkish source further noted that Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has previously declared that if the putschists refuse to give back the stolen choppers and fighters to the army, it will shoot them down.
F-16 combat jets were used by coup leaders late Friday and early on Saturday to attack the parliament building and areas near the Turkish presidential complex in Ankara.
Rogue military elements made a “vile” attempt to overthrow Turkey’s democratically elected government, according to Yildirim.
Some 2,839 military personnel linked to the coup attempt have been arrested, and 20 pro-coup soldiers, including senior officers, were killed.