Turkey shot down a Russian fighter plane early this morning, supposedly after an incursion into Turkish air space. It was the first time a NATO member has downed a Russian plane in a half-century.
Now, tensions between Washington and Moscow are reaching a boiling point, as America and her NATO allies are scrambling for an emergency meeting of the alliance’s governing body.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Turkey’s action a “stab in the back by the terrorists’ accomplices” and warned of “significant consequences.”
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu insisted his country has the right to take “all kinds of measures” against border violations, and called on the international community to work toward “extinguishing the fire that is burning in Syria.”
Turkey said the Russian Su-24 ignored several warnings that it was nearing, then intruding, into Turkish airspace. Russia insisted the plane stayed over Syria, where it was supporting ground action against rebels.
Rebels said they fired at the two parachuting pilots as they descended, and that one had died. A rebel spokesman said they would consider releasing the body in exchange for prisoners held by Syria. The fate of the second pilot was not immediately known.
“It’s a serious incident in anybody’s book,” added Ian Kearns, director of the European Leadership Network, a London think-tank.
Before the incident, Russia and the West appeared to be moving toward an understanding of their common strategic interest in eradicating the Islamic State group following the bombing of a Russian airliner over Sinai and the attacks in Paris.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry invited diplomats from the five U.N. Security Council member countries for a meeting to brief them about the incident. Separately, the Russian charge d’affaires was also invited for a meeting during which Turkey “conveyed its sensitivities” over border violations.
Turkey has complained repeatedly that Russian planes supporting Syrian President Basher Assad were straying across the border — a complaint repeated to the Russian ambassador last Friday.
The Russian plane was supporting Syrian troops which have been on the offensive in an area controlled by several insurgent groups including al-Qaida’s branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, and the 2nd Coastal Division and the 10th Coast Division that includes local Turkmen fighters.
A Turkish military statement said the plane entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yayladagi, in Hatay province.
Turkish officials released what they said was the radar image of the path the Russian plane took, showing it flying across a stretch of Turkish territory in Turkey’s southern-most tip, in the region of Yayladag, in Hatay province.
Last month, Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that it said had violated Turkey’s airspace.
Turkey changed its rules of engagement a few years ago after Syria shot down a Turkish plane. According to the new rules, Turkey said it would consider all “elements” approaching from Syria an enemy threat and would act accordingly.
Following earlier accusations of Russian intrusion into Turkish airspace, the U.S. European Command on Nov. 6 deployed six U.S. Air Force F-15 fighters from their base in Britain to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey to help the NATO-member country secure its skies.
Sarah Lain, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, said the last time she could remember a NATO member country —the United States — shooting down a Russian/Soviet plane was the 1950s. “But the Soviets appear to have shot down more U.S. planes amid the Cold War,” she added.
Video of the shotdown Su-24 was released by Russia Today, and can be seen here:
The Associated Press contributed to this article
What you get when a community organizer becomes “leader of the free world”. What you get when a power hungry liar becomes Sec. of State. What you get when Congress ignores these problems. The poor leadership coming out of the U.S. has left a power vacuum and confusion. If we had any quality leadership in this nation then their would be some degree of stability in that region.
Well put!
I guess our feds don’t know how to perform their own jobs.
I am certain that the two corridors that extend from the Syrian border into Turkey that Erdogen cleared out the Kurds is being used to give the so called Free Syrian Army access to enter Turkey and used to arm the Muslim terrorist forces that the Communist Democratic Party is using as their proxy fighting forces to violently overthrow Assad.
The anti-Christian and anti-Semitic Atheist based Communist Democratic Party has taken the leading role in overthrowing the State of Israel by building up the economies and armies of the enemies of Israel. To this end the Communist Democratic Party conspired with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organization to violently overthrow Assad in Syria in order to unleash them so that they can endeavor to take control of the government, military, finances and resources and use them in a war against the State of Israel, which the Communist Democratic Party plans to orchestrate when they think the time is right.
The multitudes of deaths that have resulted from this conspiracy, which also includes the over throws of Mubarak in Egypt, Gadaffi in LIbya and Saleh in Yemen are part of the fulfillment of Rev 18:24, which foretold that Babylon the great, which Jesus revealed to me and sent me out to tell His people is the USA, would become responsible for all who are slain on the earth.
Rev 18:24 “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Well Russia is getting a taste of its own medicine. Russia has a lengthy history of downing civilian airliners.
Can Enough of us >>[ Citizens of this USA ] Tune our Minds in to That Higher Power ( The Power we seem to be Ignoring now for Too long ? ) If we did, We Would be sent a Leader Who Does Understand What Is Needed to be distributed out to this Country…and yes, over the World ? This Leadership Must necessarily Begin In a Small Dose, Or IT will be Spit Right Back at Us. WHY ? Simple. It has been So Long now That WE have Been minus a leader Who Kept Good Planning And Effort And Finances..at HOME>>>Working FOR US. The Need is ‘ PEACE ‘. IT has to begin Somewhere ! Why not HERE ( Where Too many Wars Are Born and Spread all over the universe ? I`m sure This Plan would be Welcomed By All. But first, it must necessarily begin with A Leader Who IS desiring Peace…Not More Wars. I know I`m not alone in my Hopes..Nor am I alone In Praying for Such a Leader Who Will Lead us To this Place. Will you Join me ?
I think Turkey did the right thing, Russia is pushing itself as a bully, And Putin is leading the way. Now it is to NATO to stand behind it’s NATO partner and defend the action’s of what they did. The United States has a leader with no Ball’s to do anything. He might run his mouth but that is it. Good for Turkey taking a stand against the Russia Bear. Power is what they understand.
Talk of bullies. Turkey has a lengthy sordid record of persecuting Christians. It seems that Putin is the one confronting evil . NATO sat by and let the evil haters grow in Syria and Iraq. The Turks and their friends won’t confront the Russians too much.
Correct
Obama is Ganondorf all these events is created by Obama and he is the incarnation of Demise