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MQ-1 Predator Down in Turkey

An American MQ-1 Predator has crashed in wasteland 15 kilometers away from the city centre of Doğankent in Turkey.

The aircraft which took off at night from the  Incirlik Air Base in the district of Sarıçam, crashed in a field in the  Doğankent neighbourhood in the central Seyhan district.

US authorities came to the region to assess the damage and the local police team also took extensive security measures .

Eyewitnesses Mehmet Bayram said that he saw a flashing object which fell to the ground.

“I heard the sound of an explosion and then the police came to the incident. US officials also came here to investigate,” he said.

Incirlik Air Base officials confirmed the loss of the aircraft and the US Air Force issued the following statement:

An Air Force MQ-1 Predator Remotely Piloted Aircraft crashed in an unpopulated area in Southern Turkey at approximately 1:40 a.m. local time, Feb. 3, 2016.

The initial assessment is that the aircraft experienced mechanical failure. An investigation is underway to determine the specific cause of the crash.

There were no military or civilian injuries.  The U.S. military and Turkish officials have positive control of the crash site.