DHAKA: Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday congratulated the military for downing a Syrian warplane near its border and warned of a ‘heavy’ response if its airspace was violated.

‘Our response from now will be heavy if you violate our airspace,’ Erdogan said during an election rally, referring to the regime of president Bashar al-Assad.

‘I congratulate the chief of general staff, the armed forces and those honourable pilots... I congratulate our air forces,’ said the premier, reports The Straits Times.

Syria on Sunday accused its northern neighbour of ‘flagrant aggression’ after Turkish forces shot down the warplane as it bombarded rebels near the border.

BDST: 2045 HRS, MAR 23, 2014