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Rebel Pilots of Turkish Fighter Jets Switched Off Radio During Coup Attempt

© AFP 2023 / Jorge GuerreroF-16 of the Turkish Air Force
F-16 of the Turkish Air Force - Sputnik International
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Turkey's F-16 fighter jets under the control of rebels during the attempted coup ignored orders to return to Akinci Air Base near Ankara before turning off the communication channel, local media reported Monday.

Turkish Supporters are silhouetted against a screan showing President Tayyip Erdogan during a pro-government demonstration in Ankara, Turkey, July 17, 2016. - Sputnik International
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ANKARA (Sputnik) — The pilots were contacted by radio and warned that their flight is illegal, at which point they responded by claiming to be acting on the orders of the air force command and turned off the radio equipment, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing military sources.

The jets were refueled in the air by two tanker aircraft manned by coup supporters from Incirlik Air Base in Adana. The F-16s were later forced to land when pro-government fighter jets arrived from various bases from across the country, according to the news outlet.

The coup attempt was suppressed by early Saturday, with Turkish authorities stating that all coup supporters were identified and would be apprehended as the country returned to normal. Over 290 people were killed and at least 1,400 injured during the attempted coup, according to the country's Foreign Ministry.

Soon after the start of the attempted coup, the airspace over the region of the Sea of Marmara in northwestern Turkey was closed to civil aviation and the Turkish Airlines company announced the cancellation of all flights scheduled for Saturday.

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