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Drone downed by Turkey was Russian: Turkish PM

Published: 08:50 EST, 19 October 2015 | Updated: 08:50 EST, 19 October 2015

A drone downed by Turkey near the Syrian border was Russian-made, Turkey's prime minister said Monday, adding that it could have belonged to a "militia" fighting in Syria.

"It's Russian-made, but Russia has told us it doesn't belong to them," PM Ahmet Davutoglu said during a television interview.

Turkey shot the drone down on Friday after it violated its air space near the Syrian border despite three warnings.

Turkey claims its warplanes shot the drone down after it violated its air space close to the Syrian border

Davutoglu said it could have belonged to Syrian government forces -- to whom Russia supplies arms -- or Kurdish armed groups in Syria, or "it could belong to a militia".

The US military had said it believed the drone was of Russian origin, but Moscow said all its drones were accounted for.

NATO member Turkey has bridled at Russia's efforts to prop up the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who Turkey wants ousted.

The country has accused Russian aircraft operating in Syria of violating its air space twice, with Moscow blaming poor weather.

Davutoglu on Monday warned Moscow against repeating the incursion, saying the drone "incident has once again proved that Turkey both has the capacity and the political will to put an end to such violations."

"I hope that Russia will adopt a more careful stance... and Turkish-Russian relations will not be negatively affected," he said.