Turkey to Russia: we will not tolerate air violations

Turkish President Recep Erdogan warned Russia against further intrusions into its airspace. This statement followed two incidents involving Russian combat aircraft, which inflict airstrikes on Syrian territory.

According to the Turkish authorities, Russian aviation flew twice in two days without permission in the skies over Turkey. In addition, another unidentified aircraft prevented reconnaissance flights by the Turkish Air Force over the border with Syria, as a result of which eight Turkish F-16 aircraft were captured by the guidance radar for four and a half minutes.

“Our good relations with Russia are well known,” Erdogan said. “But if Russia loses a friend in Turkey, with which it cooperates on many issues, it will lose a lot, and it should know about it.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the incidents in Turkish skies "do not appear to be an accident" and are unacceptable.

Meanwhile, Russia's permanent representative to NATO, Alexander Grushko, said that Russia's explanations were ignored and the incident with a Russian plane in Turkish airspace was used to include NATO in an information war that "perverts and distorts" the goals of the Russian operation in Syria.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also warned that Turkish aviation will continue to respond to the invasion of the country's airspace in accordance with the rules of the use of combat aircraft - regardless of who is the violator.

The White House called Russian actions a provocation. According to US Secretary of State John Kerry, the situation illustrates well the fears of Americans about the possible escalation of the conflict in Syria.

"Forum" wrote earlier about What you need to know about the Russian invasion of Syria.