Nato Holds Emergency Session After Turkey Shoots Down Russian Warplane on Syrian Border
Daily Mail UK, 24 November 2015
Nato will hold an emergency session today after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane it claimed had entered its air space.
The North Atlantic Council (NAC) will meet in Brussels in response to the downing of the aircraft by Nato member Turkey.
UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told MPs that officials were urgently seeking details about the incident from Ankara and Moscow.
A Middle East expert has warned that the skies over Syria and Turkey are an "incredibly crowded air space"
Nato spokeswoman Carmen Romero said the meeting was called at the request of Turkey.
"The aim of this extraordinary NAC meeting is for Turkey to inform allies about the downing of a Russian airplane," she said.
"Nato is monitoring the situation closely. We are in close contact with Turkish authorities."
Ankara claimed its F-16s shot down the Russian plane after it ignored repeated warnings over the violation of Turkish air space.
But Moscow said the Su-24 jet was downed by artillery fire while on a bombing mission in Syria and had not strayed across the border.
The Russian defence ministry statement said: "We are looking into the circumstances of the crash of the Russian jet. The Ministry of Defence would like to stress that the plane was over the Syrian territory throughout the flight."
Updating MPs on the incident, Mr Hammond chose his words carefully, saying that the jet was shot down "near the Turkish-Syrian border".
He said: "We are seeking further details urgently, both in Moscow and in Ankara. Clearly this is potentially a serious incident, but it wouldn't be wise to comment any further until we have got more certainty on the facts."
Video footage of the incident showed a plane on fire before crashing on a hill and two crew members apparently ejecting.
One of the crew members was dead upon landing, according to a spokesman for the rebel group that found him.
Jahed Ahmad, of the 10th Brigade in the Coast, said the crew members tried to land with their parachutes in Syrian government-held areas after they ejected, but came under fire from members of his group.
He added that rebels shot one of the pilots, who landed dead on the ground. The fate of the second pilot was not immediately known.
The group released a video showing gunmen standing around a blond pilot who had bruises on his face and appeared dead.
A voice on the video is heard saying "a Russian pilot", while another says: "The 10th Division has captured a Russian pilot. God is greatest."
Turkey has already complained about Russian incursions into its skies and last month Nato condemned the "unacceptable violations of Turkish air space by Russian combat aircraft".
The incident comes as David Cameron prepares to set out the case for RAF air strikes in Syria.
The Prime Minister will set out a plan on Thursday to tackle Islamic State - also known as Isil, Isis or Daesh - in its Syrian stronghold.
He told the Commons on Monday that he would let MPs consider his proposals over the weekend before a debate and vote on British military involvement in Syria.
"I do not want anyone to feel that they are being bounced into a decision," he said. "I want this House to take the decision deliberately, but we should not take too long over it."
UPDATE
‘Shot Dead’ as They Parachuted to The Ground: Militants Claim to Have Gunned Down Two Russian Pilots Who Ejected From Their Aircraft as Video Emerges of Rebels Chanting 'Allahu Akbar' Over One Body
- Turkish army has shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 war plane near its Syrian border, officials have confirmed
- Syrian border rebels have now claimed to have shot dead the pilots as they parachuted from the destroyed aircraft
- Alpaslan Celik, a brigade commander, boasted that his 'comrades opened fire into the air and they died in the air'
- Russian jet had violated Turkish air space and ignored ten warnings in five minutes, Ankara military officials said
- Vladimir Putin called Turkey's decision to shoot down the plane 'a stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists'
A video has been released showing Syrian rebels cheering and shouting 'Allahu Akbar' over the dead body of one of the pilots of the Russian jet shot down by Turkey (bottom left). He has since been identified as Sergei Rumyantsev (inset), a major at Shagol air force base near Chelyabinsk, in south-central Russia.
The two-pilot Sukhoi Su-24 jet was shot down by F-16 fighter planes just after 9am this morning (bottom right), after it violated Turkish airspace and ignored nearly a dozen warnings by the military, Ankara officials said.
Meanwhile, a furious President Vladimir Putin has refuted that the jet ever left Syrian airspace, and instead accused Turkey of funding ISIS, and using its military to protect the terrorist organisation.
A second video then emerged claiming to show a separate rebel group blowing up a helicopter sent by Russian forces to rescue the surviving pilot (the rocket launcher used is pictured top). Moscow said a Russian soldier was killed in the crash.
Turkmen rebels today claimed to have shot dead two Russian pilots in midair as they tried to parachute to safety from their downed aircraft after it was destroyed by Turkey for an airspace violation.
In the wake of its destruction, a deputy commander in a Syrian Turkmen brigade was interviewed clutching what he claimed was a piece of the airmens' parachutes while boasting that his men opened fire as the Russians floated to the ground.
Turkish F-16 fighter planes shot down the Russian two-pilot Sukhoi Su-24 this morning after it violated Turkish airspace and ignored nearly a dozen warnings by the army, Turkish officials claimed.
Alpaslan Celik, the leader of one of the local rebel groups, spoke near the Syrian village of Yamadi, following the downing. He stated:
'Both of the pilots were retrieved dead. Our comrades opened fire into the air and they died in the air.'
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This image shows the moment the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet was shot down by Turkish F-16 fighter planes near the Turkish-Syrian border, in Hatay, which has seen NATO call an 'extraordinary' meeting and Russian President Putin warn of 'serious consequences'
A picture has emerged of Alpaslan Celik (centre), a deputy commander in a Syrian Turkmen brigade, holding handles believed to be parts of a parachute belonging to a pilot of the downed Russian warplane
Celik is seen holding what are said to be parts of a parachute used by one of the pilots who ejected when a Russian jet was blown up
The extraordinary downing of the plane by a NATO member has further compromised relations between the myriad of players embroiled in the Syrian conflict.
Meanwhile, Syrian rebels were seen chanting 'Allahu Akbar' over the dead body of one of the Russian pilots in shocking footage released shortly before a separate group blew up a Putin chopper sent to find survivors.
A video filmed by rebels in Syria's Turkomen Mountains, an area which has been the cause of recent tensions between Turkey and Russia, sees ethnic Turkish anti-government fighters celebrating and cheering as they discover the body of the pilot.
The video, posted on Twitter by a man believed to be a Syrian-Turkmen rebel soldier, shows at least a dozen men surrounding the corpse of the pilot, dressed in Russian military fatigues, and some are heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' – 'God is great'.
Both pilots ejected themselves from the jet and a separate video shows them parachuting down to the ground as fighters fire at them.
A spokesman for the rebel group said the dead pilot, who can be seen covered in bruises and burns in the video, was already deceased when he landed, and that they are conducting search operations in the area to find the second crew member.
The pilot in the video has since been identified as Sergei Rumyantsev, a major at Shagol air force base near Chelyabinsk, east of the Ural mountains in south-central Russia.
'Proof'? This image, left, accompanied by a video, right, claims to show one of the Russian pilots found dead by Turkmen rebels
Footage reportedly filmed in Syria's Turkomen Mountains shows local fighters cheer as they discover the body of one of the Russian pilots
At least a dozen men surround the corpse of the pilot, dressed in Russian military fatigues, and some are heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar'
The pilot in the video has since been identified as Sergei Rumyantsev, a major at Shagol air force base near Chelyabinsk, east of the Ural mountains in south-central Russia. He is pictured (right) alongside a young serviceman who it is believed may be his son
Sergei Rumyantsev, a major at Shagol air force base near Chelyabinsk, is said to be one of the Russian pilots shot down by Turkish F-16s
Footage of Sergei Rumyantsev was followed by the release of a second video, claiming to show members of the U.S.-trained Free Syrian Army firing an anti-tank missile and destroying the helicopter sent by Russian forces to rescue the surviving pilot
Jahed Ahmad of the 10th Brigade in the Coast, a group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army, said his group would consider exchanging the body of the Russian pilot for prisoners held by the Syrian government.
The area where the plane went down is mainly populated by Turkmens - Syrians citizens, but ethnic Turks - and is the target of a current Syrian government offensive, where President Bashar al-Assad's ground troops are supported by Russian airstrikes.
The United States believes Russia's incursion into Turkish airspace likely lasted only a matter of seconds before Turkey shot down the warplane, while Obama today laid blame with Putin's insistence on targeting moderate groups fighting the al-Assad regime instead of ISIS.
He said: 'I do think that this points to an ongoing problem with the Russian operations. In the sense that they are operating very close to a Turkish border, and they are going after moderate opposition that are supported by not only Turkey but a wide range of countries.'
He added such mistakes were less likely to occur if Russia directed its focus towards attacking ISIS.
More pictures have surfaced of items said to have been recovered by Syrian rebels when a Russian plane was shot down by Turkish forces
Aim: A video claimed to be filmed by the Syrian Free Army shows a rebel fighter firing a tank missile at a helicopter
Fire: The Syrian Free Army claims that this is the moment when they destroyed a Russian army helicopter which had been sent on a search and rescue mission to save the two Russian pilots of the jet which was shot down by Turkey this morning
Destroyed: A rebel spokesman said troops fired a Tao missile that destroyed the helicopter after it landed and its pilots had left the aircraft
The Turkomen Mountains is controlled by several insurgent groups, who are not allied with ISIS, including al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, The Free Syrian Army and the 10th Brigade in the Coast, that consists of local Turkmen fighters.
The Turkish army said the pilots of the Russian jet had been warned 'ten times in the space of five minutes' before the plane was shot down, a statement which has since been backed up by the U.S. military.
'We were able to hear everything that was going on, these (communications) were on open channels,' Baghdad-based military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said, confirming that ten warnings were issued by Turkish pilots without response.
He added it was not immediately clear on which side of the Turkish-Syrian border the Russian jet had been flying, and it would take some time to analyse data before arriving at that determination.
Meanwhile, President Putin called Turkey's decision to down the plane a 'stab in the back' by the accomplices of ISIS, as his Defence Ministry still claims the jet was flying over Syria and never entered Turkish airspace.
'The loss we suffered today came from a stab in the back delivered by accomplices of the terrorists,' President Putin said, speaking at a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Sochi, Russia, on Thursday afternoon.
'We will never tolerate such atrocities as happened today and we hope that the international community will find the strength to join forces and fight this evil,' Putin said.
The president warned that 'today's tragic event will have serious consequences for Russian-Turkish relations', shortly before Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cancelled tomorrow's visit to Turkey, where the two nations were due to discuss Syria.
Putin boldly claimed that Turkey has been buying oil from ISIS, funding the terrorist group, and accused Ankara of protecting the jihadists with the country's military, Moscow-funded
RT reports.
In a separate incident, sources told AFP in Beirut that a Russian helicopter in the same area in Syria was destroyed by rebels on the ground after being forced to make an emergency landing following damage from rebel fire.
A Syrian military source told AFP that a unit of Syrian regime special forces saved the dozen-strong Russian commando team and brought them back to the regime stronghold of Latakia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Turkey's decision to down the plane a 'stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists'
Conflicting stories: Turkey claims they shot the plane down as it was violating the country's airspace after the pilots ignored 'ten warnings in the space of five minutes', but Russia says the jet was in Syrian airspace
Flight: This map shows the route of the Russian jet (shown in red), based on data released by the Turkish government, including where it violated Turkish airspace, and the area in the Turkomen Mountains where it crashed
Just hours before the Russian jet was shot down, Ankara called for a U.N Security Council meeting to discuss attacks on Turkmen areas in Syria, which have forced some 1,700 civilians to flee their homes in the last three days, according to Turkish officials.
It followed a summoning of Moscow's ambassador on Friday, when Ankara demanded an immediate end to the Russian military operation near the Syrian border saying the Russian actions did not 'constitute a fight against terrorism' but the bombing of civilians.
Ambassador Andrey Karlov was warned during the meeting that the Russian operations could lead to serious consequences, the ministry said.
Turkish officials said the Russian plane was first warned that it was within ten miles of the Turkish border, and the aircraft then crossed over Turkish territory, adding that a second plane had also approached the border and been warned.
'The data we have is very clear. There were two planes approaching our border, we warned them as they were getting too close,' a senior Turkish official said.
'We warned them to avoid entering Turkish airspace before they did, and we warned them many times. Our findings show clearly that Turkish airspace was violated multiple times. And they violated it knowingly,' the official said.
NATO allies will hold an 'extraordinary' meeting later today at Ankara's request to discuss Tuesday morning's incident, an alliance official said.
'At the request of Turkey, the North Atlantic Council will hold an extraordinary meeting at 4pm. The aim of this extraordinary NAC is for Turkey to inform Allies about the downing of a Russian airplane,' the official said.
The North Atlantic Council consists of ambassadors from the 28 NATO member states.
A Turkish military statement, issued before it was confirmed that the jet was Russian, said the plane entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yayladagi, in Hatay province.
'On 24 Nov., 2015 at around 09.20am(7.20am GMT), a plane whose nationality is not known violated the Turkish airspace despite several warnings (ten times within five minutes) in the area of Yayladagi, Hatary.
'Two F-16 planes on aerial patrol duty in the area intervened against the plane in question in accordance with the rules of engagement at 09.24am(7.24am GMT).'
The Turkish Army later released a radar analysis image which they say tracks the movement of the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet, showing where it entered Turkish air space, and where it went down.
'This isn't an action against any specific country. Our F-16s took the necessary steps to defend Turkey's sovereign territory,' a Turkish official told news agencies on condition of anonymity.
Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement that they are looking into the circumstances of the crash of the Russian jet.
'The Ministry of Defence would like to stress that the plane was over the Syrian territory throughout the flight.'
The statement also claimed that the Sukhoi-24 had been shot down from the ground at the altitude of 6,000metres (3.73m).
Vladimir Putin's spokesman called the downing of the Su-24 warplane a 'very serious incident' but declined to comment further until more facts emerged.
'It is just impossible to say something without having full information,' said Dmitry Peskov.
Russia's government-run TV Zvezda claimed the warplane had been in Syrian airspace the entire time, which allegedly could be proven by 'control systems', a ministry spokesman said.
'It's the kind of thing we're been warning about,' said Ian Kearns, director of the European Leadership Network think-tank in London.
'And it's a direct military engagement between a NATO country and Russia, so I think it's a serious incident in anybody's book.'
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has spoken with the chief of military staff and the foreign minister about the developments on the Syrian border, the prime minister's office said in a statement, without mentioning the downed jet.
He has ordered the foreign ministry to consult with NATO, the United Nations and related countries on the latest developments, his office said.
This image released by the Turkish Army reportedly shows the flight radar tracking the movement of the downed Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet (in red), showing where it entered Turkish air space and where it went down. The blue line illustrates the Turkish border with Syria
Quote:
DOWNING OF RUSSIAN JET ADDS TO 'TOXIC ****TAIL' IN THE REGION, EXPERTS SAY
Turkey shooting down a Russian jet on Tuesday morning is just proof of the 'toxic ****tail' of dangers in the region which could erupt into crisis with devastating effect, an expert has warned.
Middle East expert Shashank Joshi, from the Royal United Services Institute, said the skies over Syria and Turkey are an 'incredibly crowded airspace', with planes from both nations and members of the US-led coalition against IS - including the UK - operating.
Turkey, a Nato member, has already complained about Russian incursions into its skies and last month the alliance condemned the 'unacceptable violations of Turkish airspace by Russian combat aircraft'.
Mr Joshi said: 'The situation is dangerous because Russia is quite probably deliberately probing Turkish airspace both for military reasons and political reasons.'
The Russians will be testing the military responses of the Nato member, but also carrying out the same 'psychological intimidation' tactics used in the Baltic and North Atlantic, he suggested.
The combination of the crowded airspace, Russian probing tactics and the diplomatic tensions create a 'real toxic ****tail that can easily erupt into crisis', he warned.
Ankara will be 'furious' at the incursion and Russia can expect Nato to strike a 'tough' note, but behind the scenes there will be intense diplomatic efforts to calm tensions.
But if Moscow responds in a provocative way, there is a risk of the crisis escalating.
Mr Joshi warned: 'These things always proceed in a very unpredictable fashion. We have seen how conflicts can begin when there are large alliances.'
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Ejected: The two pilots of the Russian Sukhoi-24 jet can be seen parachuting down after the plane was hit
Last month, Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that had also violated Turkey's airspace.
Turkey and Russia have long been at loggerheads over the Syrian conflict, with Ankara seeking Assad's overthrow while Moscow does everything to keep him in power.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to visit Turkey on Wednesday to discuss Syria, in a trip arranged before this incident, which he abruptly canceller on Tuesday afternoon. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is meanwhile expected to visit Russia for talks with Putin in late December.
Russia's participation in the Syrian peace process talks in Vienna, the co-operation on the UN Security Council resolution and meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Nato leaders provided signs of a renewed diplomatic engagement between Moscow and the West in recent weeks.
French President Francois Hollande will meet Mr Putin on Thursday and Russia has offered co-operation in the fight against IS following the atrocities in Paris and the downing of a Russian passenger jet in Egypt.
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RUSSIAN AIRFORCE'S 'BASIC' EMERGENCY KIT... A MACHETTE
By DARREN BOYLE FOR MAILONLINE
Russian pilots operating out of the Latakia air base in Syria have a small escape kit to help them on the ground if they are forced to eject from their jet.
In the Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer, the escape kit is located in a small compartment underneath the ejector seat.
The escape kit contains an inflatable raft, in case the aircraft is brought down over water. There is also a radio beacon which will relay the pilot's location to any potential rescue aircraft.
The pilot also has a radio, signal flares, a machete and a knife. It is likely the pilot will have a sidearm to defend himself.
Russian pilots are equipped with a small escape kit in a compartment underneath their ejector seat
Among the basic equipment in the escape kit is a machette, pictured, and a small supply of water
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Quote:
JIHADIST ISSUE WARNING OF PARIS-STYLE ATTACK ON MOSCOW TUBE
A sinister warning of a terrorist attack has been issued to users of Moscow's underground rail system, it was revealed today.
A wifi system available on the metro network - the busiest outside Asia - flashed up the message: 'Paris was yesterday, Moscow is today.'
The threat came after the possible hacking of the internet system on 20 November, but details were only revealed today.
A number of passengers complained to police about the menacing threat, which was registered on the north-south Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line, which passes close to the Kremlin in central Moscow.
Denis Savin told major Russia media outlet LifeNews, which disclosed the threat,: 'I took my tablet and tried to connect to the wifi but instead of the authorisation page I saw a black flag with an Arabic sign and words in Russian above it.
'It read: 'Paris was yesterday, Moscow is today!'
He and his friend Alexei Komov were 'worried' about the message and approached a policeman at Prospekt Mira station, he said.
They saved a screenshot and passed it to police.
'Several similar reports from passengers were received on the same day by other police stations,' reported pro-Kremlin LifeNews.
Police are checking how the shocking messages were seen by travellers on the metro, which carries 6.75 million people a day on its 203 miles, one of the most efficient underground train systems in the world.
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Quote:
RUSSIA-TURKEY WAR 'MOST LIKELY'
The chances of war between Russia and Turkey - which has the might of NATO behind it - are now 'most likely', claimed one of Moscow's most respected military analysts.
Pavel Felgengauer said Ankara is seeking to protect a zone in northern Syria controlled by its allies, the Turkmens.
After the downing of the Russian warplane on Tuesday, Moscow must either accept this zone 'or start a war with Turkey' which it could only win by going nuclear, he said.
'It is most likely that it will be war,' said Felgenhauer, an analyst for liberal Novaya Gazeta.
'In other words, more fights will follow when Russian planes attack Turkish aircraft in order to protect our bombers. It is possible that there will be fights between the Russian and Turkish navies at sea.'
He warned: 'Probably the Turks will shut down the Bosphorus - and other NATO countries will join this conflict.
'And in such a conflict Russia has very little chance unless it uses its nuclear weapons.'
The Bosphorus is the only channel by which Russia's Black Sea fleet can reach the Mediterranean.
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WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT:
COMPILATION VIDEO: RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET Su-24 Shot Down TURKEY & PILOT Killed (Raw,Amateur)
Video Claims to Show Russian Pilot Dead on Syrian Border
Footage Appears to Show Rebels Blowing up Russian Helicopter