North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member Turkey on Tuesday shot down a Russian war plane on the Syrian border, an act President Vladimir Putin said would have “serious consequences” for ties between the two key protagonists in the Syria war.
“This event goes beyond the boundaries of fighting terrorism. It is a stab in the back from accomplices of terrorists,” Putin said, according to live broadcast by Russian 24 TV channel.
Putin said the incident would have serious consequences on Moscow-Ankara relations as “Russia would not tolerate crimes like what happened today”.
Syria also joined Russia in denouncing Turkey’s downing of the Russian jet over its territory as a “flagrant aggression against Syrian sovereignty” and a show of support for “terrorists”, state media reported.
However, the Turkish Army said the plane was shot down by two F-16s after violating Turkish airspace ten times within a five-minute period, an account challenged by Moscow which said it was over Syria.
Turkish television pictures showed the jet exploding and crashing in a ball of flames into a Syrian mountain.
Turkish media said one pilot had been captured by rebel forces in Syria after both ejected by parachute while Syrian Opposition sources said one was dead and another missing.
NATO has called an emergency meeting over the incident, the first of its kind since Russia launched air strikes in Syria in September, to the consternation of the West.
The presence of military aircraft from Russia, the United States, France, Turkey and a clutch of Gulf states in Syrian skies had long raised fears of an incident that could quickly escalate into a major diplomatic and military crisis.
With a major diplomatic crisis looming between two states on opposing sides in the Syria conflict, Russia angrily insisted its jet never had entered Turkish airspace.
The shooting down of the plane was “a stab in the back committed by accomplices of terrorists,” Putin said at a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Moscow.
Putin said the plane fell in Syrian territory four kilometres from the border with Turkey and “did not in any way threaten Turkey”.
“Today’s tragic event will have serious consequences for Russian-Turkish relations,” he warned.
Syria also flayed the downing of the jet with the state news agency SANA citing a military source as saying, “In a flagrant aggression against Syrian sovereignty, the Turkish side this morning brought down a friendly Russian plan on Syrian territory on its return from a combat mission against Daesh.”
The incident “demonstrates without a doubt that the Turkish Government takes the side of terrorism and gives its support to terrorist groups that have began to collapse under the blows of the Syrian Army,” the source added.
“These desperate acts of aggression will only reinforce our determination to pursue the war against terrorist organisations with the support and help of our friends, chief among them Russia.”
However, the Turkish Army said the downing took place over the Yayladagi district of Turkey’s Hatay province on the border with Syria.
“The plane violated Turkish air space ten times in five minutes despite warnings,” the Army said in a statement, adding it was shot down “according to the rules of engagement”.
In a surprise move, the US military backed up Turkey’s claim that Turkish pilots had warned a Russian jet ten times, but failed to get a response, before shooting it down.
“We were able to hear everything that was going on, these (communications) were on open channels,” military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.
Asked if he could confirm reports ten warnings were issued by Turkish pilots without response, Warren said: “I can confirm that, yes.” He added it was not immediately clear on which side of the Turkish-Syrian border the Russian jet had been flying.
Meanwhile, Russia summoned the Turkish military attache in Moscow while Ankara summoned Moscow’s charge d’affaires to the Foreign Ministry.
“Everyone must know that it is our international right and national duty to take any measure against whoever violates our air or land borders,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.
Reports said two pilots had ejected from the plane and Turkish television pictures showed two white parachutes descending to the ground. Their fate was not certain.
CNN-Turk said Syrian Turkmen forces fighting the Russian-backed regime of President Bashar al-Assad had captured one pilot.
Syrian Opposition sources meanwhile told AFP one pilot was dead, the second missing.