A map released by the Turkish military shows the flight path of the plane crossing over the Turkish border at a narrow Southern point.
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Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet on the Syrian border on Tuesday, threatening a major spike in tensions between two key protagonists in the four-year Syria civil war. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi also said that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter that was searching for the two pilots of the Su-24 was sacked on by Syrian rebels and one crew member was killed.
Stoltenberg was speaking at a news conference after an extraordinary meeting of the alliance’s decision-making North Atlantic Council which was called at Turkey’s request.
The Turkish military did not identify the country which owned the plane, but said in a statement on its website that Turkish pilots fired only after repeated warnings to the other warplane. The pilots have not yet made contact with Moscow and condition was unknown.
The Russians say it was a deliberate attack against a Russian jet flying south of the border.
The Turkish army said that the downing took place over the Yayladagi district of Turkey’s Hatay province on the border with Syria.
The letter allegedly from Turkish UN Ambassador Halit Cevik reiterates Ankara’s claim that the two planes were “warned 10 times during a period of five minutes via “emergency” channels” to change direction.
Meanwhile, Russian Federation has summoned the Turkish military attache in Moscow while Ankara summoned Moscow’s charge d’affaires to the foreign ministry.
Play video “Where Was Jet When It Was Downed?”
President Barack Obama said Russian Federation and Turkey needs to investigate what happened before taking any further actions against one another. The fighter planes have been involved in the bombing campaign in Syria.
The incident appeared to scupper hopes of a rapprochement between Russian Federation and the West in the wake of ISIS attacks in Paris, which led to calls for a united front against the radical jihadist group in Syria.
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Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey had a duty to act against anyone violating its borders.
