Turkey shoots down Russian Jet

[JDM]

Turkish F-16s downed a Russian Fencer yesterday.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11...-syria-border/

[RoyGBiv]

Schadenfreude

[farscott]

This has the opportunity to really spin out of control, and it was one of my concerns about the Russians joining the air strike coalition. Russian President Putin's comments (translated, of course)

Thanks for your condolences including for the downing of our military plane.

This event is in the context of our fight against terrorism - our military is fighting terrorism. But today’s loss was a blow in the back by the accomplices of terrorists. I can’t qualify this in any other way. Our plane was downed over Syrian territory by an air to air missile from a Turkish F16. It crashed four km from the Turkish border.

At the time it was attacked, it was at an altitude of 6000m and one kilometre from the border with Turkey. In any case our pilots never threatened the territory of Turkey. That much should be obvious.

The pilots were part of an operation against ISIL in the mountainous areas of north Latakia, where there is a concentration of militants from the Russian Federation. That is, they were fulfilling their direct duty of preventing attacks by those who might return to Russia. And people who do that should be qualified as international terrorists.

I understand that every state has its own regional interests, and we will always treat them with respect. But we will never tolerate that the perpetrators of such crimes, as it is today.

We have signed an agreement with our American partners to avoid clashes in the air, and Turkey was one of the countries that announced its participation in the US-led coalition against terrorism.

We will of course carefully analyse everything that happened. Today’s tragic event will have serious consequences including for Russia’s relationship with Turkey.

We have always treated Turkey not just as a close neighbour but as a friendly state. I don’t know who had an interest in what happened to day, but we did not.

Instead of contacting us immediately, as far as we know the Turkish side first turned to their partners in NATO to discuss this incident. As if they downed a Turkish plane and not ours. Do they want to put NATO at the service of ISIL?

[Chance]

Honestly, I doubt this will amount to much. It was bound to happen eventually, and will probably happen again.

Russia also had a helicopter shot down today.

[PPGMD]

I understand that every state has its own regional interests, and we will always treat them with respect.

LOL, because Russians are known for respecting national boundaries.

Turkey told you "Stop violating our airspace," and yet you continued to do it. At some point they were going to have to down one of your jets to prove that they mean it.

[LittleLebowski]

I'm a little concerned over this. Not losing sleep though.

[texasaggie2005]

It's off the Dailymail, so take it for what you paid for it. But this is the rumored radar track.

Attachment 4610

[breakingtime91]

I am not thinking much of this. Russia has been playing stupid games in the air all year and they finally paid the price for it. Sure, they will keep the rhetoric up for a week, maybe two but eventually they will have to settle down because they want to be seen as Europe's savior, not a provoker of one of its "allies"

[Chance]

I'm a little concerned over this. Not losing sleep though.

I seriously doubt anyone in NATO is going to push to step up on Turkey's behalf. Russia and Turkey might trade a few blows on principle, then the thing will gas itself out.

When Russians shot down a civilian airliner, the world changed flight paths to avoid them, and everyone called it a day.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I'll go tin foil hat for this.

1. Turkey hates Assad - Russia supports
2. Turkey has been suggested to be quietly OK with ISIS for a long time. It never attacked them, helped victims actively who were being killed right on their border. Let terrorists move in and out easily. Didn't get excited when Isis blew up Kurds.
3. Their boss - Erdogan fancies himself the restorer of the Ottman Empire, attacks Israel with his policies, is Islamic, represses freedoms in Turkey.
4. Driven by ego.

So I wouldn't jump in to defend Turkey. They could have sent a nasty letter for a navigation error.