AKIPRESS.COM - Turkish forces have shot down a Syrian military jet they say was violating their airspace despite warnings. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned such action by Syria merited a “heavy response”, BBC reported.

But Syria accused Turkey of “blatant aggression”, saying the plane had been over Syrian territory at the time.

The incident reportedly occurred in an area where Syrian rebels and government forces have been fighting for control of a border crossing.

Turkey and Syria share more than 800 kilometers of border.

Turkey has broadly sided with the rebels in Syria's war since October 2011.

Turkish forces launched artillery strikes on Syrian targets in late 2012 after the Syrians shot down a Turkish jet.

Speaking at a rally of supporters, Erdogan congratulated the air force on its actions on Sunday. “A Syrian plane violated our airspace. Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? Because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard,” he said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said initial reports from the area suggested the plane came down on the Syrian side of the border. “Turkish air defenses targeted a Syrian fighter-bomber as it struck areas of the northern province of Latakia. The plane caught fire and crashed in Syrian territory,” the Observatory said.

The Turkish General Staff said two Syrian military jets were involved, and that they had been “warned four times that they were approaching Turkish airspace.”