ANKARA
The Turkish General Staff said forensic investigation had shown that its military reconnaissance plane which was shot down by Syria was not hit by anti-aircraft gun.
"Forensic investigation has ruled out the possibility that our plane might have been hit by anti-aircraft gun," the General Staff said in a statement without giving an exact reason for the downing of the plane.
"[...] It will only be possible to determine how the plane was downed by Syria after the completion of technical investigation on some major parts from the plane wreckage when they are pulled out of the sea," it said.
The statement defies Syria's allegations that the Turkish RF-4 Phantom was hit by Syrian anti-aircraft gun inside Syrian airspace.
