Erdogan reiterates Turkish aircraft hit 13 miles of the Syrian coast

Speaking at a meeting of provincial leaders of his Justice and Development Party (AKP), Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that the Turkish aircraft was hit 13 miles off the Syrian coast, a mile beyond the country's national airspace on June 22. "The plane lost altitude and speed after it was hit and strayed into the Syrian airspace, crashing into the water 8.5 miles off the Syrian coast," Erdogan added. Erdogan also commented on the controversy as to how the plane was shot down, saying that it would become clear whether it was shot down by a missile or antiaircraft fire after the wreckage of the plane was completely retrieved and examined. Stressing that every country could violate the air space of another for a brief moment, Erdogan said that the unarmed Turkish military jet was hit without a warning. "In recent days, Syrian helicopters also violated Turkish air space for five times. Turkey made the necessary warnings and forced the helicopters to leave Turkish air space," Erdogan added. Erdogan also touched upon the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, saying that Turkey will never forget the victims and will not allow others to forget it. Furthermore, Erdogan recalled the statements of Bosnia and Herzegovina's first president, Alija Izzetbegovic, when Erdogan visited him on his deathbed. "He [Izzetbegovic] whispered in my ear these phrases: 'Bosnia [and Herzegovina] is entrusted to you [Turkey], and thus Bosnia and Herzegovina is entrusted to us," Erdogan added.