Turkish authorities have arrested a Syrian air force pilot whose plane crashed on Turkish soil last month on charges of espionage and violation of border security, Turkish state-run media reported.
The 56-year-old pilot, identified as Mohammed Sofan, had bailed out as his warplane crashed on March 4. He had told Turkish authorities that his aircraft was shot down on its way to strike rural areas near Idlib in northern Syria.
Anadolu news agency reported Friday that pilot Mohammed Sofan, 56, was treated in the southern province of Hatay for a spinal fracture suffered after he ejected from the damaged Syrian plane on March 4. He was found in an exhausted state after a nine-hour search.
The arrest came hours after the U.S. military strikes on Assad air base positions.
Anadolu says he was arrested following his discharge from the hospital.
Syrian opposition military groups claimed to have downed the plane as it was bombing the countryside around the northwestern Syrian town of Idlib.
Please click to read our informative text prepared pursuant to the Law on the Protection of Personal Data No. 6698 and to get information about the cookies used on our website in accordance with the relevant legislation.
6698 sayılı Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu uyarınca hazırlanmış aydınlatma metnimizi okumak ve sitemizde ilgili mevzuata uygun olarak kullanılan çerezlerle ilgili bilgi almak için lütfen tıklayınız.