Turkey says Russian warplane violated its airspace

“The Russian aircraft exited Turkish airspace into Syria after it was intercepted by two F-16s from the Turkish Air Force, which were conducting patrols in the region”, Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

In Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters on that Russia was looking into reports of the violation of Turkey’s airspace.

This week, President Erdogan will be meeting European Union officials in Belgium to discuss the refugee and migrant crisis and its effects on Europe and Turkey. Moscow says its intervention aims to weaken Islamic State militants, but Ankara and Western powers see it as support for Assad.

“Turkey’s rules of engagement apply to all planes, be they Syrian, Russian or from elsewhere”.

‘As a result of our air strikes on ISIL targets, we have managed to disrupt their control system, the terrorist organisation’s supply lines, and also caused significant damage to the infrastructure used to prepare acts of terror, ‘ a ministry spokesperson said.

“Assad has committed state terrorism, and unfortunately you find Russian Federation and Iran defending (him)”, Erdogan was quoted by the Hurriyet newspaper as telling a crowd of supporters in Strasbourg, France late Sunday.

“Those countries that collaborate with the regime will account for it in history”, he said.

The Acting Undersecretary of the ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in Ankara Andrey Karlov and strongly protested the incident.

Turkey’s foreign minister called Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov “to reiterate the views stated above and express our reaction”, the statement continued.

“Russia’s incursion into Turkish airspace is reckless and worrying”.