<div>Turkey shot down a Russian war plane on the Syrian border on Tuesday, an act Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced as a “stab in the back” by “accomplices of terrorists”.<br /><br />Turkey has called an extraordinary meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had scrapped a planned trip to Turkey on Wednesday aimed at narrowing differences on the Syria conflict. <br /><br />Lavrov also warned Russian citizens against travel to the country, which would be a huge blow for the Turkish tourism industry. <br /><br />The Turkish army said the plane was shot down by two of its F-16s after it violated Turkish airspace 10 times within a five-minute period, an assertion backed up by its Nato ally — the United States. <br /><br />Moscow insisted that the jet had stayed inside Syrian territory, and Damascus denounced the incident as “flagrant aggression against Syrian sovereignty”. <br /><br />Turkish television pictures showed the Su-24 exploding and crashing in a ball of flames into a Syrian mountain and two pilots parachuting to the ground after ejecting. Their fate was uncertain, with reports one had been killed by rebels. The incident was the first of its kind since Russia launched air strikes in Syria in September in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, causing concern in the West over a possible clash with US-led coalition planes also in the skies. <br /><br />Putin while condemning the incident said oil from jihadist-controlled territory was exported through Turkey while funding was sent the other way. “The tragic event will have serious consequences for Russia-Turkey relations,” he warned.<br /><br />Putin said the plane fell in Syrian territory 4 km from the border and “did not in any way threaten Turkey”.<br /> <br />The Turkish army said the downing took place over the Yayladagi district of Hatay province on the border with Syria. <br /><br />“The plane violated Turkish air space 10 times in five minutes despite warnings,” it said in a statement, adding that it was shot down at 7:24 GMT “according to the rules of engagement”. <br /><br />Its version was backed up by the US military. “We were able to hear everything that was going on, these (communications) were on open channels,” Baghdad-based military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said in a video call with reporters. <br /><br />He, however, added it was not clear on which side of the Turkish-Syrian border the Russian jet had been flying.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Russia has summoned the Turkish military attache in Moscow while Ankara summoned Moscow’s charge d'affaires to the foreign ministry. <br /><br />“Everyone must know that it is our international right and national duty to take any measure against whoever violates our air or land borders,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.<br /><br /></div>
<div>Turkey shot down a Russian war plane on the Syrian border on Tuesday, an act Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced as a “stab in the back” by “accomplices of terrorists”.<br /><br />Turkey has called an extraordinary meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had scrapped a planned trip to Turkey on Wednesday aimed at narrowing differences on the Syria conflict. <br /><br />Lavrov also warned Russian citizens against travel to the country, which would be a huge blow for the Turkish tourism industry. <br /><br />The Turkish army said the plane was shot down by two of its F-16s after it violated Turkish airspace 10 times within a five-minute period, an assertion backed up by its Nato ally — the United States. <br /><br />Moscow insisted that the jet had stayed inside Syrian territory, and Damascus denounced the incident as “flagrant aggression against Syrian sovereignty”. <br /><br />Turkish television pictures showed the Su-24 exploding and crashing in a ball of flames into a Syrian mountain and two pilots parachuting to the ground after ejecting. Their fate was uncertain, with reports one had been killed by rebels. The incident was the first of its kind since Russia launched air strikes in Syria in September in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, causing concern in the West over a possible clash with US-led coalition planes also in the skies. <br /><br />Putin while condemning the incident said oil from jihadist-controlled territory was exported through Turkey while funding was sent the other way. “The tragic event will have serious consequences for Russia-Turkey relations,” he warned.<br /><br />Putin said the plane fell in Syrian territory 4 km from the border and “did not in any way threaten Turkey”.<br /> <br />The Turkish army said the downing took place over the Yayladagi district of Hatay province on the border with Syria. <br /><br />“The plane violated Turkish air space 10 times in five minutes despite warnings,” it said in a statement, adding that it was shot down at 7:24 GMT “according to the rules of engagement”. <br /><br />Its version was backed up by the US military. “We were able to hear everything that was going on, these (communications) were on open channels,” Baghdad-based military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said in a video call with reporters. <br /><br />He, however, added it was not clear on which side of the Turkish-Syrian border the Russian jet had been flying.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Russia has summoned the Turkish military attache in Moscow while Ankara summoned Moscow’s charge d'affaires to the foreign ministry. <br /><br />“Everyone must know that it is our international right and national duty to take any measure against whoever violates our air or land borders,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.<br /><br /></div>