Turkey suspects Syria downed jet with optic guided missile

Turkish officials have revealed in recent statements that there is no evidence so far confirming that the RF-4E Phantom was shot down by a missile, raising suspicions that the plane might have been hit by antiaircraft fire, as Syria maintains.

Given the short range of antiaircraft bullets, media critics say, this might be an indication that the plane was hit within the Syrian airspace, and not in international airspace as Turkey maintains.

In a statement, the military said on Wednesday that it was still examining video footage of the wreckage in the seabed, adding that examinations of the retrieved pieces have found no traces of petroleum derivatives that could have been used as a fire starter or accelerant or any organic/inorganic explosive material.

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