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| The moment the Russian two-pilot Sukhoi Su-24 jet is shot down |
Turkey has confirmed
it shot down a Russian fighter plane - a long-feared crisis in Syria's civil
war and apparently the first time a NATO member has downed a Russian plane in a
half-century. At least one of the pilots was killed.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin called Turkey's action a "stab in the back by the
terrorists' accomplices" and warned of "significant
consequences", and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cancelled a
visit to Turkey which had been planned for this week.
At
Turkey's request, NATO's governing body called an emergency meeting.
Turkish
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu insisted his country has the right to take
"all kinds of measures" against border violations, and called on the
international community to work toward "extinguishing the fire that is
burning in Syria."
Turkey
said the Su-24 ignored several warnings that it was nearing, then intruding,
into Turkish airspace. Russia insisted the plane stayed over Syria, where it
was supporting ground action against rebels.
"We
will never tolerate such violence as happened today and we hope that the
international community will find the strength to join forces and fight this evil,"
Putin said.
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