The Daily Journalist.
The Turkish General Staff announced the downing of a Russian military plane in southern Turkey, on Tuesday morning for violating its airspace. The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that one of its fighters “SU-24” has been killed, although he clarifies that “the plane was flying at 6,000 meters” and never crossed into Turkish territory. The incident occurred in the Syrian-Turkish border between the Turkish and Yayladag district of Latakia suffering bouts for a week.
The information on the status of the two ‘SU-24’ pilots is very confusing. At first, the CNN-Turk reported that one of the pilots was captured alive, while another died. Soon after, an opposition militia known as 10th Brigade Coastal published pictures of an individual appearance and seemingly lifeless Russian uniform; then the brigade commander has assured Reuters that “both pilots are dead. Our comrades opened fire and killed in the air “, said Aspaslan Celik.
However, Turkish government sources said that they possessed reports that both drivers were alive, claiming they were trying to rescue them. However, late in the afternoon on Tuesday, the General Staff of the Russian Army has acknowledged the death of one of its pilots.
“In line with military rules of war, the Turkish authorities repeatedly warned apparatus unidentified that was 15 kilometers or so away from the border. The device did not respond to the warnings, and proceeded to fly over Turkey” , underlined a high Turkish official to The Daily Journalist, speaking on condition of anonymity as is standard. “Turkish Air Force responded toppling the device,” he adds.
According to the General Staff, an “unidentified” air unit entered at 9.20 Turkish airspace. “After issuing 10 warnings in five minutes,” continues the statement of the General Staff, “two F16 aircraft were involved.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has warned Turkey of “serious consequences” in bilateral relations, has subsequently said that the plane was shot down four kilometers from the border.
The Turkish military issued a map of the paths of aircraft involved in the incident. It will be seen how, after a circular maneuver and no indication how fast the designated warning to the Su-24 was given as it crossed about three kilometers from Turkish airspace. Video images published in the Turkish press show how a hunting type of aircraft is hit by a missile in the air and both drivers fail to eject from the cockpit
After the coup, the plane crashed in flames on Mount Turkmen, an area Syria inhabited by ethnic Turks. In the minutes after the impact, Russian helicopters were deployed to locate the crew.
The White House has confirmed that Turkey sent 10 warnings to Russian pilots before shooting, while Damascus has denounced what he described as “flagrant aggression”.
According to the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, they have raised militants killed in a nearby area, minutes after the downing of the plane and an anti-tank missile, including a Russian helicopter. This type of weapon is identical to that given by the US to several groups opposed to Damascus. The helicopter has not been reported killed by this attack, which follows the first downing of a Russian or Soviet ship, by a member of NATO since the 50s.
Turkey has summoned the Russian ambassador to the country, Andrei Karlov, to give explanations. The Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the cancellation of the visit of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was scheduled for Wednesday to Turkey. Putin has called urgently to his security cabinet.
In addition, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador to inform him of what happened.
Turkey, which supports light weapons and non-lethal assistance to several armed opposition groups – including Turkmens – against Syrian President Bashar Assad, clashes with Russia’s strategy, firm support of the Syrian government with weapons, aviation and troops. This diplomatic tension has nothing to do with the prolific trade relations. Russia is the main supplier of fossil fuels for Turkey, which in turn is a preferred tourist destination for Russians.
Ankara had called for consultations on the 19 November last year the Russian ambassador in Turkey to protest the Russian support to forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Turkish government was particularly incensed because a week ago, the government’s offensive was advancing on territory inhabited by Turkmen, with whom maintains fraternal bonds. That area was, so far, controlled by an amalgam Militia including Islamic forces.
The Turkish government has complained that the Russian bombings in Latakia are designed not to fight the self-styled Islamic State, not present in the area, but Assad anti-government forces. Already on November 19 warned that the Turks would take action because of the proximity of these battles to turcosiria border, if a territorial violation occurred. Turkey also criticized the pro-Assad attack was causing thousands of new refugees.
“We have published in the past our rules of war and remind our counterparts that any violation of Turkish airspace would cause the actions prescribed by the military rules of war This is not a specific action against any country. Our fighters took the F16 necessary to defend the national sovereignty of Turkey measures ” the government official said.
Turkey and Russia, confronted positions in the Syrian war, already had a diplomatic confrontation over borders in early October. Then Deputy Secretary of Foreign summoned the ambassador of the Russian Federation and the Ministry in Ankara strongly protested a violation of airspace in an area very close to where the demolition took place on Tuesday. Moscow argued that this had accidentally occurred due to adverse weather conditions.
Maximum tension rises
What happened Tuesday maximizes the international political and diplomatic pressure. According to US media McClatchy, also in early October, a Russian fighter was even a target radar lock by Turkish military. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, firm foe of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, considered from the outset the Russian intervention on Syria, begun on September 29 past- “as a serious error”.
Since June 2012, when a Syrian anti-aircraft battery shot down a Turkish warplane that had penetrated Syrian sky, Turkey has maintained a “buffer area” de facto less than 10 km on Syrian territory intended to warn and eventually respond to any territorial aggression. Relying on the rules of war, Turkey, which has parliamentary permission to intervene in Syria, blocks everything on their radar apparatus to intercept unauthorized intrusions.
Under this premise, Turkey has demolished several Syrian apparatus in the past. This May Ankara announced it had shot a Syrian helicopter, that had traveled more than 10 kilometers in Turkey after launching several warnings. In March 2014 the Turkish plane shot down a Syrian MiG fighter type who, along with another ship, had entered Yailadagi. In September 2013 Ankara also shot down a Syrian helicopter in the same area.
Obama expressed support for Erdogan
The US president spoke by phone Tuesday with his Turkish counterpart Erdogan, to express the support of his country and NATO to Turkey’s right to “defend its sovereignty.”
In their telephone conversation, the two leaders agreed on the importance of calming the tensions between Turkey and Russia, as well as to “seek mechanisms to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” explained the White House statement.
In addition, Obama and Erdogan reiterated their “shared commitment” for “degrade and ultimately destroy” the jihadist Islamic State.
