Turkey Shoots Down Russian Warplane Claiming Pilots Ignored Warnings
Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian warplane early Tuesday morning after apparently giving the pilots 10 warnings “in the space of five minutes” that they were flying over Turkish airspace—a charge Vladmir Putin has vehemently denied.
Putin reportedly confirmed Tuesday that two F-16 Turkish fighter jets shot down the Russian Sukhoi Su-24, using an air-to-air missile.
But the Russian president, “speaking slowly and clearly angry” insisted Tuesday the warplane was within the Syrian border and never crossed into Turkish airspace.
Putin also appeared to suggest Turkey was working with ISIS to help sell oil and said the incident would have “serious consequences for Russian-Turkish relations.”
This official Russian response lies at odds with Turkey’s account: That the plane veered into Turkey despite several warnings, and remained there until it was shot down.
An unnamed official tells BuzzFeed Turkey gave the pilots plenty of warning long before the warplane crossed the border.
“In line with the military rules of engagement, the Turkish authorities repeatedly warned an unidentified aircraft that they were [10 miles] or less away from the border,” the Turkish official said. “The aircraft didn’t heed the warnings and proceeded to fly over Turkey. The Turkish Air Force responded by downing the aircraft.”
According to a map released by Turkey and reviewed by the Times, Turkish officials assert the plane was flying east and shot down over “a narrow finger of Turkish land less than two miles wide that juts down into Syria.”
“The aircraft entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yaylidag, in the southeastern Hatay Province,” Turkey said in a statement. “The plane was warned 10 times in the space of five minutes before it was taken down.”
It’s unclear what happened to the pilots, who were apparently able to eject but may have been captured or killed by Turkmen rebels.
Update 11:15 a.m.
Video appears to show militants firing machine guns at the pilots as they parachuted down.
