Turkey Running Search Operation to Hunt Lost Choppers

EEghtesadOnline: The Turkish army has started search operations to find and destroy the 42 helicopters which have gone missing from Turkey's military facilities in the wake of the failed coup attempt, a security source said on Monday.

News ID: ۷۶۸۲۵۶

18 July 2016

"Last night, the Turkish president ordered the air force to conduct patrolling missions across the country and the air force proposed that the F16 fighter jets fly over the country's sensitive regions, including Ankara, Istanbul and many other cities and important points," the source said.

According to FNA, he said that the Turkish Falcon warplanes have been ordered to directly fire and destroy the lost helicopters, adding that the IDs of all the lost choppers have been recorded on the fighter jets trace and targeting systems to prevent possible mistakes.

"Before this, the Turkish prime minister had announced that if the fighter jets and helicopters stolen by the coup plotters are not handed back to the Army General Staff and continue flying over the sensitive regions, the army's air defense units will be ordered to bring these fighters and choppers down," the source said.

Local sources in Turkey said on Monday that at least 42 helicopters have gone missing, sparking the concern over another attempt to overthrow the Turkish government.

CNN Turk’s Serdar Tuncer tweeted at least 42 helicopters have gone missing from the Turkish military, and added that there is concern over an imminent coup effort.

"It is as though this rogue will try more things. Can they succeed? No! But will they try?" the reporter said in his tweet.

The news on the lost military hardware surfaced as there have been intermittent clashes between the Turkish military loyal to the Erdogan government and remnants of coup participants in several places across Turkey, including in Konya airbase and military barracks near Istanbul and Ankara.

The situation in Turkey is still tense in the wake of Friday's abortive coup attempt that left at least 265 dead and over 2,000 people wounded, most of whom were civilians.

The situation in Turkey remains unstable as Turkish authorities indicated more heavy-handed measures against coup plotters and opposition figures in military and administrative posts.