NATO faces new Mideast crisis after downing of Russian jet by Turkey

Russian jet shot down near Syrian border

A Russian fighter jet was shot down by Turkey near the Syria border, apparently after coming under fire from the ground. The Turkish military said it shot down a plane after it was repeatedly warned about violating Turkish airspace. (Reuters)

By Hugh Naylor and Andrew Roth November 24 at 5:45 PM

BEIRUT — NATO faced being thrust into a new Middle Eastern crisis on Tuesday after warplanes from member state Turkey shot down a Russian jet that Turkish officials said had violated their country’s airspace on the border with Syria.
The incident marked a serious escalation in the Syrian conflict that is likely to further strain relations between Russia and the NATO alliance.
Russian officials confirmed that a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft was shot down Tuesday morning but insisted it had not violated Turkey’s airspace.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said one of at least two pilots probably died during the incident, and a marine also was killed by apparent Syrian insurgent fire during a helicopter rescue operation to retrieve the downed airmen.

The downing brings renewed attention to a scenario feared for months by the Pentagon and its partners: a potential conflict arising from overlapping air missions over Syria — with Russia backing the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and a U.S.-led coalition conducting airstrikes against the Islamic State.

Turkish officials have accused Russia of repeated airspace violations since it launched airstrikes against Assad’s armed opposition in late September.

[Obama says Turkey has the right to defend its airspace]

Russian President Vladimir Putin had strong words for Turkey, calling the incident a “stab in the back.”
In Washington, President Obama called for de-escalation but said Turkey had the right to defend its airspace.
Turkey’s military said the Russian jet was warned multiple times before it was targeted by two F-16 fighter jets in the border zone in mountains not far from the Mediterranean coast.
Turkey called for an emergency NATO session to discuss the incident but has not invoked alliance provisions that would involve other members in its defense.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after the meeting that NATO allies with intelligence assets near where Turkey shot down the Russian warplane had confirmed Turkey’s version of events and rejected Russia’s claim that its aircraft was flying over Syria and had not crossed into Turkish airspace.

Culled from Washington post