Turkish authorities announced on 25 May that Diyarbakir airport had been closed for repairs after its runway was damaged during an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack by militants from the outlawed Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan (PKK) on 19 May. The nearby 8th Main Jet Base Command was also closed. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had previously stated on 19 May only that an attack on the 8th Main Jet Base Command involving a 'model plane' had been foiled. The PKK claimed responsibility for the attack on the military base but did not mention the targeting of Diyarbakrr airport. The omission was likely deliberate given the PKK's preference to avoid appearing to target civilian assets. Turkish statements did not say how the model planes were rendered ineffective in either incident.Earlier on 25 May, the MoD also reported that Turkish forces had foiled an attack by Kurdish militants involving a "model plane" targeting a Turkish base in northern Syria. The statement added that the aircraft had been downed and data from it had enabled military forces to 'neutralise' a militant involved in the attack.
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