Turkey says another Russian jet violated Turkey’s airspace

“Turkey’s allegations that a Russian [Sukhoi] Su-34 aircraft violated its airspace is baseless propaganda”, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Interfax on January 30.

The foreign ministry said a Russian SU-34 jet flew into Turkish airspace on Friday despite warnings.

Relations between Turkey and Russia plummeted after Turkish air force shot down a Russian jet on November 24, claiming it had violated Turkish airspace, while Moscow insisted the Su-24 did not cross into Turkey.

Russian Federation stepped up its bombing campaign in the Bayirbucakregion of northwest Syria in mid-December, near the strategically important city of Azaz, to target Turkey-backed Turkmen rebels and civilians – and the Turkish aid convoys that supply them.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan said another Russian warplane violated its airspace Friday despite repeated warnings in multiple languages. “If Russia continues the violations of Turkey’s sovereign rights, it will be forced to endure the consequences”.

He said he had asked repeatedly for a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, without success.

Ankara also said the Russian plane was warned numerous times by Turkish air radar units “through appropriate channels” both in English and Russian languages. A pilot and a Russian marine in the rescue party were killed in the incident.

After the incident Russian Federation imposed a range of unilateral economic sanctions against Turkey including a ban on food imports.

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.

He made it clear that the airspace-controlling radar stations that Turkey has can only determine the altitude, flight line, and speed of an aircraft, but not its type or state affiliation.

Last Nov. 24 the Turkish air force shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber flying a mission in northwest Syria, and which, according to Ankara’s version but denied by Moscow, briefly penetrated Turkish airspace.