Turkish fighter jets scrambled to intercept Syrian warplane

Four Turkish fighter jets were launched on Friday to intercept two Syrian MI-17 military helicopters which approached to southern Turkey, a Turkish military statement said Saturday. Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets scrambled Friday to intercept a Syrian MI-17 military helicopter which approached to the Yayladagi village of Turkey's southern Hatay province, said the general staff of the Turkish Armed Forces in the statement. On the same day, two other F-16 fighter jets scrambled when another Syrian MI-17 military helicopter approached to the Nusaybin border village of Turkey's southern Mardin province, according to the statement. Turkish war jets have been intercepting any Syrian aircraft approaching the border region since a Turkish war plane was shot down in 2012 by the Syrian army after it reportedly violated the Syrian airspace, according to local media. Turkey downed a Syrian MI-17 attack helicopter in September last year, saying it made a 2-km incursion into its airspace while ignoring warnings. Turkey, once an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but now a leading voice urging his ouster, shelters more than 700,000 Syrian refugees and has reportedly provided Syrian rebel army leaders with sanctuary.