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Syria rebels say they shot, killed one Russian pilot as he parachuted, fate of other pilot unknown
The Associated Press Posted: Nov 24, 2015 3:22 AM ET Last Updated: Nov 24, 2015 8:17 AM ET
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Turkey's decision to down a Russian warplane near the Syria border a "stab in the back."
Speaking at a meeting in Sochi, Russia with Jordan's King Abdullah, Putin on Tuesday accepted his condolences on the death of a Russian pilot who was reportedly captured and dead.
Putin said the Russian SU-24 jet was shot by a missile from a Turkish jet over Syria about one kilometre away from the Turkish border, which he described as a "stab in the back by the terrorists' accomplices."
Putin warned that the incident would have "significant consequences" for its relations with Turkey and criticized Ankara for turning to NATO to discuss the incident instead of first explaining to Russia what happened.
Turkey claimed that its F-16s fired on the Russian plane after it violated its airspace and ignored several warnings.
Video footage of the incident showed a warplane on fire before crashing on a hill and two crew members apparently parachuting safely.
Jahed Ahmad, a spokesman the 10th Coast Division, an insurgent group in Syria, said its forces fired at the Russian pilots as they descended. One was dead when he reached the ground, Ahmad told The Associated Press.
The group released a video showing gunmen standing around a blond man in aviator gear whose face was bruised and appeared dead.
The fate of the second pilot was unknown.
The North Atlantic Council, NATO's governing body, called a meeting requested by Turkey, an alliance member. "The aim of this extraordinary NAC meeting is for Turkey to inform allies about the downing of a Russian airplane," said Carmen Romero, NATO's deputy spokesperson.
Turkey's private Dogan news agency said two Russian helicopters, flying low over the Turkmen Bayirbucak region, searched for the two pilots.
A still image made available on Nov. 24 from video footage shown by the HaberTurk TV Channel shows a burning trail as a plane comes down after being shot down near the Turkish-Syrian border. (Haberturk TV/EPA)
"This isn't an action against any specific country. Our F-16s took the necessary steps to defend Turkey's sovereign territory," a Turkish official said in an email. The official cannot be named because of government rules that bar civil servants from speaking to journalists without authorization.
The official said the Russian plane was first warned that it was within 15 kilometres of the Turkish border, and the aircraft then crossed over Turkish territory.
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.
Repeated warnings
A Turkish military statement said the plane entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yayladagi, in Hatary province.
"On Nov. 24, 2015 at around 09.20 a.m, a plane whose nationality is not known violated the Turkish airspace despite several warnings (10 times within five minutes) in the area of Yayladagi, Hatary," the military said before the plane's nationality was confirmed.
"Two F-16 planes on aerial patrol duty in the area intervened against the plane in question in accordance with the rules of engagement at 09.24 a.m."
It said the plane was warned 10 times within the space of five minutes.
A human rights monitoring group said the plane went down in Latakia, although the Syrian government claimed it occurred in a different region. (Google)
"It's the kind of thing we've been warning about," said Ian Kearns, director of the European Leadership Network think-tank in London. "And it's a direct military engagement between a NATO country and Russia, so I think it's a serious incident in anybody's book."
On Friday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador demanding that Russia cease operations in Syria targeting Turkmen villages, saying the Russian actions did not "constitute a fight against terrorism" but the bombing of civilians. Ambassador Andrey Karlov was warned during the meeting that the Russian operations could lead to serious consequences, the ministry said.
Syrian troops have been on the offensive in the area that is 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.
Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the warplane crashed in the Turkmen Mountains region in the coastal province of Latakia.
A still image made available on Tuesday shows smoke billowing from what was described as the crash site of a plane after it was shot down near the Turkish-Syrian border. (Haberturk TV/EPA)
The Turkmen Mountains region has been subjected to a government offensive in recent days under the cover of Russian airstrikes.
Three Russian journalists working in Latakia province suffered minor injuries when a missile landed near their car on Monday, Russia's Defence Ministry said. They were being treated in a military hospital.
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.
Source: Vladimir Putin slams Turkey for shooting down Russian warplane near Syrian border - World - CBC News
The Associated Press Posted: Nov 24, 2015 3:22 AM ET Last Updated: Nov 24, 2015 8:17 AM ET
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Turkey's decision to down a Russian warplane near the Syria border a "stab in the back."
Speaking at a meeting in Sochi, Russia with Jordan's King Abdullah, Putin on Tuesday accepted his condolences on the death of a Russian pilot who was reportedly captured and dead.
Putin said the Russian SU-24 jet was shot by a missile from a Turkish jet over Syria about one kilometre away from the Turkish border, which he described as a "stab in the back by the terrorists' accomplices."
Putin warned that the incident would have "significant consequences" for its relations with Turkey and criticized Ankara for turning to NATO to discuss the incident instead of first explaining to Russia what happened.
Turkey claimed that its F-16s fired on the Russian plane after it violated its airspace and ignored several warnings.
Video footage of the incident showed a warplane on fire before crashing on a hill and two crew members apparently parachuting safely.
Jahed Ahmad, a spokesman the 10th Coast Division, an insurgent group in Syria, said its forces fired at the Russian pilots as they descended. One was dead when he reached the ground, Ahmad told The Associated Press.
The group released a video showing gunmen standing around a blond man in aviator gear whose face was bruised and appeared dead.
The fate of the second pilot was unknown.
The North Atlantic Council, NATO's governing body, called a meeting requested by Turkey, an alliance member. "The aim of this extraordinary NAC meeting is for Turkey to inform allies about the downing of a Russian airplane," said Carmen Romero, NATO's deputy spokesperson.
Turkey's private Dogan news agency said two Russian helicopters, flying low over the Turkmen Bayirbucak region, searched for the two pilots.
A still image made available on Nov. 24 from video footage shown by the HaberTurk TV Channel shows a burning trail as a plane comes down after being shot down near the Turkish-Syrian border. (Haberturk TV/EPA)
"This isn't an action against any specific country. Our F-16s took the necessary steps to defend Turkey's sovereign territory," a Turkish official said in an email. The official cannot be named because of government rules that bar civil servants from speaking to journalists without authorization.
The official said the Russian plane was first warned that it was within 15 kilometres of the Turkish border, and the aircraft then crossed over Turkish territory.
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.
Repeated warnings
A Turkish military statement said the plane entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yayladagi, in Hatary province.
"On Nov. 24, 2015 at around 09.20 a.m, a plane whose nationality is not known violated the Turkish airspace despite several warnings (10 times within five minutes) in the area of Yayladagi, Hatary," the military said before the plane's nationality was confirmed.
"Two F-16 planes on aerial patrol duty in the area intervened against the plane in question in accordance with the rules of engagement at 09.24 a.m."
It said the plane was warned 10 times within the space of five minutes.
A human rights monitoring group said the plane went down in Latakia, although the Syrian government claimed it occurred in a different region. (Google)
"It's the kind of thing we've been warning about," said Ian Kearns, director of the European Leadership Network think-tank in London. "And it's a direct military engagement between a NATO country and Russia, so I think it's a serious incident in anybody's book."
On Friday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador demanding that Russia cease operations in Syria targeting Turkmen villages, saying the Russian actions did not "constitute a fight against terrorism" but the bombing of civilians. Ambassador Andrey Karlov was warned during the meeting that the Russian operations could lead to serious consequences, the ministry said.
Syrian troops have been on the offensive in the area that is 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.
Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the warplane crashed in the Turkmen Mountains region in the coastal province of Latakia.
A still image made available on Tuesday shows smoke billowing from what was described as the crash site of a plane after it was shot down near the Turkish-Syrian border. (Haberturk TV/EPA)
The Turkmen Mountains region has been subjected to a government offensive in recent days under the cover of Russian airstrikes.
Three Russian journalists working in Latakia province suffered minor injuries when a missile landed near their car on Monday, Russia's Defence Ministry said. They were being treated in a military hospital.
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.
Source: Vladimir Putin slams Turkey for shooting down Russian warplane near Syrian border - World - CBC News
Photo: Turkish F-16s have shot down a warplane near the Syrian border. (Haberturk TV)
Photo: A radar picture released by the Turkish Interior Ministry shows activities of the downed Russian warplane (in red) near the Turkey-Syria border. (Reuters: Turkish Interior Ministry)
Photo: Moscow said that the downed jet was a Sukhoi Su-24. (AFP: Sergey Venyavsky, file photo)
