The incident prompted the calling of an emergency security meeting to be led
later on Friday by Mr Erdogan and attended by top military and intelligence
chiefs.
A Turkish military F-4 Phantom , similar to the one lost over Hatay in
Turkey
The F-4 Phantom, a fighter bomber with a pilot and navigator on board,
disappeared over the Mediterranean. All radar and radio contact with the
aircraft was lost shortly after it departed from Erhac air base in Turkey’s
southern province of Malatya.
Turkey is a member of Nato, meaning that it could invoke Article V of the
North Atlantic Treaty and summon the aid of all 28 countries in the alliance
if it comes under attack. Turkey’s government is a strident critic of
President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and tension has risen along the land
border between the two neighbours.
A series of shooting incidents has taken place across this frontier so far
this year. The Free Syrian Army, a rebel alliance fighting to overthrow Mr
Assad, has a strong presence inside Turkey. The Turkish air force, one of
the strongest in the region, conducts regular patrols through the highly
sensitive airspace near Syria.
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