Turkey says another Russian jet violated airspace, summons envoy

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.

The Turkish and Russian leaders traded barbs and Russia introduced a raft of sanctions made to damage the market in Turkey.

Moscow’s ban on the import of Turkish foods, the sale of charter holidays for Russians to Turkey and most construction projects with Turkish firms was expected to cost the Turkish economy at least $10bn. REUTERS/Murad SezerBoth Turkish and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation radars detected a Russian jet violating Turkish airspace, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday, refuting Russian claims that the violation was “pure propaganda”.

“If Russia continues to violate Turkey’s sovereignty, it will have to face the consequences”, he said, adding he had requested a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov dismissedAnkara’s statement as “propaganda” arguing that Russian and Syrian air radar units did not detect any violations and that there has always been no radio contact between Turkish and Russian air forces.

Officials said the plane was warned in Russian and in English before entering Turkey’s airspace.

Erdogan’s comments came Saturday, hours after Turkey announced that a Russian plane had again violated the Turkish border.

In a statement he said: ‘Russia must take all necessary measures to ensure that such violations do not happen again. One of its two crew members was killed by Syrian rebels on the ground after ejecting from the plane, and a Russian marine died in the rescue operation to bring back the surviving officer.

“A Russian combat aircraft violated Turkish airspace yesterday, despite repeated warnings by the Turkish authorities”.

But Turkish media reported that the Turkish airforce suspended missions of its aircraft over Syria in the aftermath of the downing of the Russian jet to avoid further controversy with Russia.

“I consider these allegations as a futile attempt to justify the treacherous Su-24 downing”, Franz Klintsevich, deputy chair of the Defense Committee at the upper-house Federation Council in the Russian parliament, told the news agency.