TURKEY

Turkish F-16 fighter jets shoot down Russian warplane after airspace violation

A Russian warplane has been shot down by Turkish F-16 fighter jets after it violated Turkish air space. The aircraft was reportedly flying close to the Syrian border and repeatedly ignored warnings.

Following initial reports on Tuesday that the identity of the warplane was unknown, Turkish presidential sources said shortly after the incident that the aircraft was Russian-made.

"A Russian Su-24 plane was downed under the rules of engagement because it violated the Turkish air space despite the warnings," Turkey's presidency said.

Russia's defense ministry denied the claims, however, saying that the warplane had been on a bombing mission in Syria and crashed after it came under artillery fire from the ground.

"We are looking into the circumstances of the crash of the Russian jet. The Ministry of Defense would like to stress that the plane was over the Syrian territory throughout the flight," Moscow said in a statement.

Pilots seized by Turkmen

Video footage released by private Turkish broadcaster Haberturk TV on Tuesday showed the jet plummeting in flames into a woodland area - known to Turks as "Turkmen Mountain" - with a long plume of smoke behind it.

In separate footage, published by Turkey Anadolu Agency, two pilots were seen parachuting out of the aircraft shortly before it crashed.

Broadcaster CNN Turk reported that Syrian rebels had captured one of the pilots near to the Syrian border, and that a search was underway for the second.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's office said in a statement that the Turkish leader had spoken with the country's military chief and foreign ministry about the incident and that Davutoglu would start "initiatives" within Nato and the United Nations (UN).

Call for Security Council meeting

Earlier this week, Turkey called for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss attacks on Turkmens. Traditionally, Ankara has supported Syrian Turkmens, who are Syrians of Turkish descent.

The downing of the plane came just a month after a similar incident, in which Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that had also violated Turkey's airspace.

ksb/kms (Reuters, AP)