Turkey shoots down Syrian helicopter

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc announced that Turkey shot down a Syrian helicopter that crossed joint borders Monday. Speaking at a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Arinc said a Syrian PI 17 helicopter at 14:20 on Monday committed a two km border violation into Turkish Hatay province's Yayaladagi Guvecci region along border with Syria. "Though being warned continuously by air defense elements for many times, the violation continued and our airplanes taking off from Malatya airport hit the helicopter with missiles to shoot it down," Arinc said. Arinc noted Turkey's rules of engagement changed and a new practice was executed after being continuously attacked and disturbed thereby in especially Akcakale and Viransehir regions. For his part, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the Syrian chopper was shot down after breaching Turkish airspace. Davutoglu added that he would brief the United Nations Secretary-General, NATO and UN Security Council member states regarding the issue.