Russian warplane shot down by Turkey

[projekktor id=’22132′]

(Updated) NATO has wrapped up an impromptu meeting after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet they say entered their airspace.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says that the common enemy is ISIS and that calm and de-escalation are needed to solve today’s incident between NATO ally Turkey and non-NATO ally Russia. NATO says that they stand in solidarity with Turkey and support their findings that the Russian plane entered their airspace and was shot down after it was warned 10 times in 5 minutes that it breached their rules of engagement.

Rebel fighters have claimed to have shot at the ejected pilots but we have no official word that confirms the condition of the Russians.

Russia has been leading attacks on rebels and ISIS forces just across the border in Syria.

This is the first time a NATO country has shot down a Russian military aircraft since the 1950’s. Russian president Vladimir Putin called Turkey’s decision to shoot down the plane a “stab in the back by the terrorists’ accomplices,” and that there will be “severe consequences”.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu says his country has the right to act when their airspace is violated. NATO has confirmed that authorities in Moscow and Ankara are in talks. As a result one of Russia’s largest travel agencies plans on pulling its group packaged tours to Turkey.

Turkey changed its rules of engagement a few years ago, after Syria shot down one of their planes. The new rules say that Turkey would consider all “elements” approaching from Syria as an enemy threat. Last month, Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that it said had violated Turkey’s airspace.