Turkey shot down a Russian fighter plane Tuesday, 24 November, precipitating a long-feared crisis in Syria’s civil war. A Turkish military statement said the plane entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yayladagi, in Hatay province. This is the first time a NATO member has downed a Russian plane in half a century. At least one of the pilots was reportedly killed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Turkey’s action was a “stab in the back by the terrorists’ accomplices” and warned of “significant consequences.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cancelled a visit to Turkey, which had been planned for Wednesday. And at Turkey’s request, NATO’s governing body called an emergency meeting.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said 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 claimed that the Su-24 ignored several warnings that it was nearing, then intruding, into Turkish airspace. Russia insisted the plane stayed over Syria.
“We will never tolerate such atrocities as happened today and we hope that the international community will find the strength to join forces and fight this evil,” Putin said.
“It’s a serious incident in anybody’s book,” added Ian Kearns, director of the European Leadership Network, a London think-tank. Turkey needs Russia’s oil. And Moscow needs to sell oil to Turkey.
The shoot-down happened as Russia and the NATO powers appear to be developing an understanding about the need to eradicate the Islamic State after the Paris attacks and the bombing of a Russian passenger plane over the Sinai Peninsula. Turkey, a member of NATO, has been supporting the attempt at forced removal of Assad in Damascus and has trained ISIS members, provided them with surveillance information, and provided financial support, to the brutal ISIS fighters, a point that Putin made at the G-20 meeting recently. Shooting down a Russian war plane may well be Ankara’s way of retaliating for Putin’s comments.
Keeping Russia from helping Damascus by downing one of its planes could be Turkey’s attempt to keep the balance in NATOs favor.
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of war.” Matthew 24:6
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Comments
Jason W
Sunday November 29th, 2015 at 11:03 PMPutin stated it was a stab in the back and warned of significant consequences. What? The plane flew into Turkish airspace and was warned! I do not believe Turkey would have looked to cause an issue with their oil supplier, so I believe they were protecting their airspace and I believe the pilot was warned! Putin likes to push issues and he believes he can do whatever that he wants. It does not always go his way.