28.12.2025 15:05
The Chairman of the CHP, Özgür Özel, claimed regarding the unmanned aerial vehicle that was shot down after reaching the Ankara border, "The authority to shoot down an aircraft lies with Erdoğan, and there was no instruction for two hours." The Director of Communications, Duran, responded, "Mr. Özel's statements do not reflect the truth and constitute a clear form of disinformation. I advise Mr. Özel to consider the statements made by our official institutions instead of making assessments that contain speculation and disinformation."
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, after arriving in Ankara, commented on the downed UAV, stating that the UAV was detected by NATO radars in Turkey through the NATO base in Spain, just 50 kilometers from the ground. Özel said, "The NATO command in Spain launches F-16s from Konya and Eskişehir. The F-16s do not change when entering Turkish airspace, but the NATO commander in Spain hands over control of the aircraft to the Turkish command center."
"NO INSTRUCTION FROM ERDOĞAN FOR 2 HOURS"
According to Özel, the UAV was tracked for 2 hours and 5 minutes, and when the fuel of the F-16s in the air decreased, two more F-16s took off from Incirlik and the UAV was shot down by these aircraft. Özel stated, "Currently, the authority to shoot down an aircraft lies with Erdoğan. No instruction has come from Erdoğan for two hours. If not, let them say so. We had the opportunity to shoot down the UAV over the sea. It was not due to the inadequacy of our air forces, but because of the UAV's origin that it could not be shot down."
BURHANETTİN DURAN: THE STATEMENTS DO NOT REFLECT THE TRUTH
While CHP leader Özel's claim resonated widely in the public, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran denied the claim with a statement. Duran said, "The statements made by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel in an interview with a newspaper regarding the downing of a UAV, attributed to our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, do not reflect the truth and constitute a clear disinformation. I advise Mr. Özel to consider the statements made by our official institutions instead of evaluations containing speculation and disinformation."
STATEMENT FROM DMM: IT IS A CLEAR DISINFORMATION
The Communications Presidency's Disinformation Combat Center also made a statement on the subject from its X account. The statement included the following expressions; "The claims reflected in some media outlets that an instruction was awaited from our President regarding the downing of a UAV are clear disinformation.
As is known, on December 15, a UAV approaching our airspace from the Black Sea was detected, followed by our F-16s, and after the completion of peacetime procedures, it was shot down with a controlled intervention in a safe area.
The claims that the UAV was shot down late because an instruction was awaited from our President or that its origin raised concerns are clear disinformation. The authority to shoot down is held by our General Staff under the currently effective "Engagement Rules Directive" document, and this authority was transferred to our Air Force Command without delay to be used in line with developments on the day of the incident.
Such speculative statements, consisting of incomplete and incorrect information and not consistent with the facts, are malicious statements aimed at misleading our public and undermining trust in our state. It is important for the public to only consider the statements made by official sources against disinformation."