Russian jet violated Turkish airspace

ANKARA: A Russian SU-34 jet violated Turkish airspace on Friday despite radar warnings, Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Saturday, amid ongoing bitterness between the two countries involved in Syria’s war. The Russian ambassador was summoned over the incident late on Friday, the statement said, adding that the violation was a clear sign that Russia wanted issues between the two countries to escalate. “We are making a clear call to the Russian Federation not to violate Turkish airspace, which is also Nato airspace,” the statement said. “We are emphasising once again that the unwanted consequences of such irresponsible behaviour will belong fully to the Russian Federation,” it added. Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in November in an incident that wrecked relations between the two countries. Russia has imposed economic sanctions on Turkey, hitting its tourism and exports. Turkey, a vocal opponent of Syria’s President Bashar al- Assad, had complained of Russian jets violating its airspace along the border with Syria - something Moscow denies. But tensions escalated after two Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian SU-24 on 24 November. The two Russian crew ejected from their burning aircraft, but were shot at by rebels from Syria’s ethnic Turkmen community. The pilot died, but the navigator was rescued by Syrian government forces. Turkey said the plane intruded into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings to leave. Russia insisted the jet had never crossed over from Syrian territory and did not receive any warnings. The Russian and Turkish leaders traded barbs with each other, and Russia introduced a raft of sanctions hitting Turkey’s tourist industry and exportmarket.— Reuters