Alparslan Celik, who has claimed he killed the pilot parachuting from the Russian Su-24 bomber jet which was shot down over Syria, has been detained in the city of Izmir, a local police source said Friday.
"Alparslan Celik has been detained and is currently being held in custody," the police source told RIA Novosti.
Celik and 13 others were intercepted in a restaurant and detained, according to police. The group was armed with a Kalashnikov rifle and lots of other weapons.
The Russian Su-24 was shot down by a Turkish F-16 jet over Syria on November 24, falling 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Turkish border. The crew of the plane ejected and one pilot was shot dead from the ground, according to the Russian General Staff. The co-pilot survived. The slain pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov, was posthumously awarded a Gold Star medal, Russia's highest honorary title; Sputnik reported.
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