Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet, which was on a bombing mission in Syria and crashed after it came under an artillery attack from the ground.
Russian president Vladimir Putin warned that the “tragic incident” would bring “serious consequences” for Turkey, following Russia’s first loss of life in a military engagement with a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) country since the cold war.
Claims of Turkey and Russia over plane shot down
- Turkey said it hit the plane after it violated Turkey’s airspace and ignored 10 warnings.
- Russia denied that the plane crossed the Syrian border into Turkish skies.
- President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman called the downing of a Russian Su-24 warplane in Syria a “very serious incident”,but said it was too early to draw conclusions.
- Putin referred this incident as “stab in back”.
- Putin told to Russian state TV, “We have always treated Turkey as a friendly state. I don’t know in whose interests today’s incident is, but it’s not in ours.”
- Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has cancelled his due visit to Turkey, a trip arranged before the incident.
- NATO will hold emergency meeting in Brussels on downing of Russian plane.