Putin: Downing Of Jet A ‘Stab In The Back’

The Russian warplane is shot down by Turkey after allegedly violating its airspace, with both pilots on board believed to be dead.

The shooting down of a Russian jet by Turkey is a “stab in the back” committed by “accomplices of terrorists”, Vladimir Putin has said.

The Sukhoi Su-24 was warned 10 times before being downed near the Syrian border by two Turkish F16 jets for violating the country’s airspace, according to the Turkish military.

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A Turkish official said two Russian planes approached the Turkish border and were warned before one of them was shot down, adding their information shows Turkish airspace was repeatedly violated.

Both of the pilots are dead, say Sky sources.

A rebel group has said it shot dead both of the pilots as they tried to land safely in northern Syria after ejecting from the jet.

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Video sent to Reuters appears to show one of the pilots immobile on the ground. “A Russian pilot,” a voice is heard saying, as men gather around the man on the ground. “God is great,” is also heard.

The Russian leader said the jet “did not in any way threaten Turkey” and the incident will have “serious consequences” for relations between the two countries.

Mr Putin said the aircraft was shot by a missile from a Turkish jet over Syria around 1km (just over half a mile) away from the Turkish border, which he described as a “stab in the back by the terrorists’ accomplices”.

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has cancelled a trip to Turkey scheduled for Wednesday and advised Russians not to visit the country.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey has a right to respond if its airspace is violated, and stressed the action was not an act of aggression against any foreign territory.

The incident is the first time a NATO member’s armed forces have shot down a Russian or Soviet military aircraft since the 1950s.

Russia’s decision to launch airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State targets and forces battling the regime of President Bashar al Assad means Russian and NATO planes are flying combat missions in the same airspace for the first time since the Second World War.

European Union President Donald Tusk said: “In this dangerous moment after downing of Russian jet, all should remain cool headed and calm.”

Russian military helicopters were earlier searching for the pilots, the Turkish news agency Dogan said.

Syrian rebel fighters who have received US arms said they fired at a Russian helicopter, forcing it to land in territory held by the Syrian government.

Video has now emerged purporting to show the rebels destroying the helicopter while its on the ground.

It is not clear if it was one of the aircraft searching for the pilots.

The Russian plane went down in an area known by Turks as “Turkmen Mountain” in northern Syria near the Turkish border.

The region has been the subject of a Syrian government offensive in recent days under the cover of Russian airstrikes.

NATO has called an emergency meeting in light of the incident, and Russia’s charge d’affaires has been summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry.

Turkey has previously called for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss attacks on Turkmens in Syria.

Last week Ankara summoned the Russian ambassador to protest against the bombing of the villages by Moscow, saying Russia’s actions did not “constitute a fight against terrorism” but the bombing of civilians.

Turkey has traditionally expressed solidarity with Syrian Turkmens, who are Syrians of Turkish descent.

Video: Syria Rebels Claim Helicopter Blast

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