ANKARA - The Turkish fighter jet was shot down by Syria in international airspace on Friday, said Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu in an interview on local TV channel TRT on Sunday.

"Our plane shortly violated Syrian airspace, but not when it was shot down," Davutoglu said, adding that Syria had not issued a warning to Turkey before the shooting.

The Turkish F-4 jet that Syria downed on Friday was on a training mission to test the country's own national radar system and that was why it flew at such a low altitude, the foreign minister said, claiming that the jet was unarmed and had no mission related to Syria.

Davutoglu said the jet was hit 13 miles off the Syrian coast, in international airspace, local media said.

"It is either non-professional or ill-intention to describe a Turkish plane as a threat," Davutoglu said.