Putin vows 'tragic consequences' for Turkey
The downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey will have "tragic consequences" for ties between the two countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
"Today's loss is a stab in Russia’s back delivered by terrorist accomplices" that won't be tolerated, Putin said.
Putin denied Turkish claims that the Russian Su-24 attack had breached Turkish airspace, saying the plane was more than half a mile inside neighboring Syria. Russia has been pounding Islamic State targets in Syria after a commercial jet was brought down by a bomb last month. The militant group claimed responsibility for bringing down the airliner.
"Instead of immediately establishing contact with Russia, as far as I am aware, the Turkish side contacted its NATO allies," Putin said. "Do they want NATO to serve the interests of the Islamic State?"
Putin told Russia's RT news service the plane was targeting terrorists in Syria's Latakia province. “This incident stands out against the usual fight against terrorism," Putin said. "Our troops are fighting heroically against terrorists, risking their lives."
The Russian Defense Ministry said flight monitoring data confirms Putin's claims that the plane did not stray into Turkish airspace.
“We have always treated Turkey as not only a close neighbor, but also as a friendly nation,” Putin said. “I don’t know who has an interest in what happened today, but we certainly don’t.”