Turkish army reveals details on killed pilots

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has released new information into Syria’s downing of a Turkish jet but precise details of the incident will only be revealed after the conclusion of an inspection of the jet’s main body, according to a TSK communications officer.

Addressing why the helmets and boots of Capt. Gökhan Ertan and Lt. Hasan Hüseyin Aksoy were found before the bodies and the rest of the plane’s wreckage, TSK communications officer Baki Kavun said the items might have become separated due to the crash’s impact and might have been brought to the surface because they can float.

Alternatively, sea currents might have been responsible for bringing the helmets and boots to the surface, Kavun said.

Autopsies have been performed on both Ertan and Aksoy in the eastern province of Malatya, Kavun said, adding that the reports were then delivered to the Malatya Prosecutor’s Office, which is the only authority that can release the results.

Addressing reports that the plane was brought down by a missile, Kavun said, “If there was a threat of missile attack, [the pilots] should have determined it because the downed jet had a missile detection system."

Turkish footage shows no missiles hitting the plane, but the investigation into radar records, parts of the jet and other findings are still continuing, he said.

The plane had no VTR system recording conversations between pilots, Kavun said.

Syria shot the plane down on June 22.