Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz has denied claims by Saudi Arabian news channel Al Arabiya that two Turkish pilots thought to have perished when their jet was shot down June 22 were actually murdered by Syrian intelligence, Anatolia news agency reported.
Yılmaz told the agency that the public should believe "every information given by the Turkish Foreign Ministry" while stating "none of [the Al Arabiya claims] were true."
"Public offices may give missing information, but will never give wrong information," Yılmaz said. "Every piece of information given by the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Chief of General Staff is true."
Yılmaz said authorities would soon release statements on the matter.
