Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border on Tuesday after repeated warnings over air space violations, but Moscow said it could prove the jet had not left Syrian air space.

It was the first time a NATO member's armed forces have downed a Russian or Soviet military aircraft since the 1950s and Russian and Turkish assets fell on fears of an escalation between the former Cold War enemies.

The Turkish military said the aircraft had been warned 10 times in the space of five minutes about violating Turkish airspace. Officials said a second plane had also approached the border and been warned.

Onyejiuwaokoh:
Asad insistence in remaining in power may bring havoc to the world, his people are dying in hundreds of thousand but he doesn't care. As a Moslem he would prefer to die than to step down and allow peace to rein.

Lordave:
Russia- All mouth no substance.

Putin keeps violating human rights while his fans in Nigeria canonise him.

bonechamberlain:
turkey hmmm, don't be surprised next week headline, extremist kill 200 in Ankara . those Russians are expert in covert warfare.

panachuku:
the CIA are the bosses of covert warfare

bonechamberlain:

why would he step down, who instigated the crisis in his country, was it not the west because the dint want him. Assad has always said he would step down if Syrians don't need him again and not some rag rag rebels and terrorist sponsored by America and its allies.

ValerianSteel:
The Game is heated up.

Russia is in for a serious deal should it try to seek revenge.

belabela:

Should Russia get all clear that the plane did not violate Turkish airspace it will revenge.
That is when you will know how divided NATO is. For one I know the UK parliament will not vote in support of a war instigated solely by Turkey.
If Russia truly violated Turkish airspace. There will be protest but nothing more.

This event is beyond the normal framework of fighting against terrorism. Of course our military is doing heroic work against terrorism... But the loss today is a stab in the back, carried out by the accomplices of terrorists. I can’t describe it in any other way. Our aircraft was downed over the territory of Syria, using air-to-air missile from a Turkish F-16. It fell on the Syrian territory 4km from Turkey.

Neither our pilots nor our jet threatened the territory of Turkey. This is obvious. They are fighting terrorists in the northern areas around Latakia, where militants are located, mainly people who originated in Russia, and they were pursuing their direct duty, to make sure these people do not return to Russia. These are people who are clearly international terrorists.

Taking into account that we signed an agreement on deconflicting with the US, and as we know Turkey was among the ones that has joined the US coalition. Since Isis has such huge resources of hundreds of millions and billions of dollars coming from illicit oil sales, and they are protected by the armed forces of other states, then it’s clear why they are so brazen, why they are killing people, why they are carrying out terrorist attacks throughout the world including in the heart of Europe.

We will analyse everything, and today’s tragic event will have significant consequences, including for Russia-Turkish relations. We have always treated Turkey as a friendly state. I don’t know who was interested in what happened today, certainly not us. And instead of immediately getting in contact with us, as far as we know, the Turkish side immediately turned to their partners from Nato to discuss this incident, as if we shot down their plane and not they ours.

mazeltov:
which protest? Lolzz.
Please be guided accordingly, Turkey is not like Biafra here in Nigeria oo or probably you are thinking Turkey is like ISIS that Russia can just bomb anytime.
Every nation has the right to protect its airspace. Nigeria has the right to shot down any american Jet that violates our airspace. Contrary to your opinion, Even Russia wouldn't make any mistake of attacking Turkey just because they think that Nato is divided - An attack on Turkey is an attack on United state and every Nato country which violated article 5 of 1949 Nato treaty.