Russia, Turkey war of words escalates: Moscow claims Ankara planned downing of warplane
It is Russia's words against Turkey as Moscow suggests Ankara planned the warplane shooting after all. According to Russia, Turkey's recent statement and seemingly detailed awareness that the Su-24 was about to go down can be considered an "official acknowledgment" that it planned the shooting after all.
Russia's Defence Ministry said that the Turkey's detailed awareness of Russian Air Force sorties in Syria can well mean that Ankara planned the shooting down the Su-24 all along.
“When on November 24 the Turkish fighter jet treacherously fired a rocket at our Su-24, the Turkish General Staff was perfectly aware about when and where our two bombers would be carrying out their mission,” RT quoted ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov during a briefing with journalists on Wednesday.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus previously released a statement on Russian operations in Syria, suggesting "official acknowledgment by Turkey that the operation to destroy the Russian jet in Syria and kill Russian soldiers was a planned step.” Kurtulmus revealed that Russia targeted Islamic State members in only 391 from the 4,000 combat sorties in the region. The count is from the time Moscow decided to intervene in the region's conflict directly in late September.
The detailed information on Russian operations can also mean that Turkey receives data from the United States. On Nov. 24, Turkish fighters shot down a Russian warplane, straining the diplomatic relations of Ankara and Moscow. Nonetheless, Turkey’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies, especially the West, maintained the Ankara shot down the plane on the basis of territorial and sovereignty claims.
“Airspace enforcement is a strictly Turkish issue,” said a Turkish official via The Wall Street Journal.
“The Russians originally complained that Turkey had involved NATO in a bilateral dispute. Now they’re saying we conspired with Washington to shoot down their aircraft. To be honest, we don’t understand why they would make contradictory remarks,” the official added.
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