TEMPO.CO, Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Turkey’s action of shooting down a Russian fighter jet on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 can be considered as a "stab in the back" and warned the country of "significant consequences."
Meanwhile, Turkey claimed that the fighter plane had been warned multiple times as it crosses from Syrian airspace into Turkish airspace.
The incident, which marked the first time a NATO member has downed a Russian plane within the last 50 years, prompted an emergency meeting of the alliance. The incident highlighted the chaotic complexity of the Syrian civil war, where multiple groups with clashing alliances are fighting on the ground and the sky is crowded with aircraft bombing various targets.
"As we have repeatedly made clear we stand in solidarity with Turkey and support the territorial integrity of our NATO ally, Turkey," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference after the meeting of the alliance's decision-making North Atlantic Council, which was held based on Turkey's request.
Russian official claimed that pilots of the downed Su-24 managed to eject from the plane, but one of them was reported to be killed by Syrian rebels on the ground. The official insisted that the plane had been in Syrian airspace when it was shot down. One of two helicopters sent to the crash site to search for survivors was also hit by rebel fire, killing one serviceman and forcing the chopper to make an emergency landing, the Russian military said.
In response to the incident, Stoltenberg urged for "calm and de-escalation" and renewed contacts between Moscow and Ankara.
AP