Russia toughened its stance toward Turkey on Wednesday and warned it may be mulling other responses, amid reports that U.S. officials believe one of Russia’s attack jets was inside Syria when it was shot down by Turkish fighters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters he had ordered further reinforcement of air defenses in Syria, and endorsed a warning by the Foreign Ministry for Russians to avoid traveling to Turkey, a popular vacation spot.
“You see, the problem goes beyond the tragedy that happened yesterday. It is a much deeper problem. We see, and not only we, but people all around the world see that Turkey’s current government has been following a domestic policy of quite conscious Islamicization throughout the country for a number of years now,” Putin said.
“After what happened yesterday, we cannot rule out the possibility of other incidents. If such incidents happen, we will have to respond one way or another,” he added.
Putin also announced that the navigator of the downed Su-24 jet had been rescued. Syrian rebels had told reporters they shot both of the plane’s two-man crew as they parachuted to the ground, but only the pilot was killed.
Turkish officials said the Russian Su-24 was given 10 warnings in five minutes after it strayed into Turkish airspace along the Syrian border before being shot down Tuesday by two F-16 fighter jets, the official Anatolia news agency said.
“This incident happened within the framework of the rules of engagement that Turkey had already announced,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. “No one should have any doubt that we have done our best to avoid this incident.”
But Reuters reported that U.S. officials believe the Russian jet was shot down inside Syria after a brief incursion into Turkish airspace, raising questions about Turkey’s account and putting Washington in the uncomfortable position of contradicting a NATO ally it may have to support against any possible Russian retaliation. U.S. F-15C fighters are helping to patrol Turkish airspace along the Syrian border against threats from the air, and the only possible threats of that type in the area are either Russian or the forces of Moscow-backed Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Russia’s deployment of new air defense systems at its base near Latakia, Syria, also will further complicate efforts to press the Obama administration to enforce a “safe zone” for civilians inside Syria to help stem the flow of hundreds of thousands of refugees into Europe. About half of Syria’s 22 million people have been displaced, creating the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II.
