Posts
Putin Sends Air Defense Missiles To Syria To Deter Turkey
The S-400 missile systems, which will be sent to the Hemeimeem air base in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia, located just about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the border with Turkey, are capable of targeting Turkish jets with deadly precision.
By Vladimir
Isachenkov
Posted: 11/25/2015
08:01 AM EST | Edited:
11/25/2015 09:57 AM EST
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered state-of-the art air defense missile systems to be deployed at a Russian air base in Syria following the downing of one of its warplanes by Turkey, a move that raised the threat of a military confrontation between the NATO member and Moscow.
The S-400 missile systems will be sent to the Hemeimeem air base in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia, located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the border with Turkey. The systems are capable of targeting Turkish jets with deadly precision. If Russia shot down a Turkish plane, NATO would be required to intervene.
Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber on Tuesday, saying it crossed into its airspace from Syria despite repeated warnings. One of its two pilots was killed by militants after bailing out, while his crewmate was rescued by Syrian army commandos and delivered in good condition to the Russian base early Wednesday.
Putin said the Russian plane remained in Syria’s skies when it was shot down. He described Turkey’s action as a “crime” and a “stab in the back,” warning of serious consequences.
He said that the Russian Foreign Ministry’s warning to Russians not to visit Turkey was needed “because we can’t exclude some other incidents following what happened yesterday and our citizens in Turkey could be in significant danger.”
On Wednesday, the Russian leader ordered the military to deploy the S-400s to Hemeimeem and took other measures that “should be sufficient to ensure flight safety.”
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday that the Russian missile cruiser Moskva already has moved closer to shore to protect the Russian aircraft flying missions near Syria’s border with Turkey with its long-range Fort air defense system.
“It will be ready to destroy any aerial target posing a potential danger to our aircraft,” he said at a meeting with military officials.
Shoigu also said that from now on all Russian bombers will be escorted by fighters on their combat missions in Syria. He said that his ministry has severed all contacts with the Turkish military.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who canceled his planned trip to Turkey after the incident, described the shooting down of the Russian plane as a “planned provocation.”
He said the Turkish action came after Russian planes successfully targeted oil infrastructure used by the Islamic State group, alleging that Turkey benefited from the oil trade.
Lavrov also said that Turkish territory was used by “terrorists” to prepare attacks in other countries, but offered no details. He said that Russia “has no intention to go to war with Turkey,” but added that Moscow will re-consider its ties with Ankara.
Some leading Russian tourist agencies already have suspended the sales of tour packages to Turkey. Nearly 4.5 million Russians visited Turkey last year, second only to German tourists.
Some Russian lawmakers suggested that Moscow should respond to the downing of the plane by cracking down on Turkish companies in Russia, but Lavrov said that “we don’t want to artificially create problems for Turkish producers and exporters, who aren’t responsible for what has happened.” Still, he added that “we can’t but react to what has happened.”
Russia was the biggest source of Turkish imports last year, worth $25 billion, which mostly accounted for Russian gas supplies.
Most Turkish exports to Russia are textiles and food, and although Turkish food exports have not been covered by the Russian food embargo, they fell by 40 percent in January-September this year compared to a year ago.
Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement that Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Lavrov agreed to a meeting "in the coming days," during their telephone conversation Wednesday, but Lavrov said he has no such plans.
Turkey informed the U.N. that two Russian planes disregarded warnings and violated Turkish airspace "to a depth of 1.36 miles and 1.15 miles in length for 17 seconds."
Lavrov shrugged off the Turkish argument that it had no other choice but to shoot the plane down, pointing at the 2012 downing of a Turkish warplane by Syria in its airspace, saying that Ankara argued then that a brief incursion wasn’t a reason to shoot down its jet. He also pointed at routine violations of Greece’s airspace by Turkish combat planes.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that his country doesn’t wish to escalate tensions with Russia over the downing of the plane.
Speaking at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation economy meeting in Istanbul, Erdogan said that Turkey favors “peace, dialogue and diplomacy.” He defended his country’s move to shoot down the plane saying: “no one should expect Turkey to stay silent to border violations or the violation of its rights."
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also sought to ease tensions, saying that Russia is Turkey's "friend and neighbor" and insisting relations cannot be "sacrificed to accidents of communication."
In a sign of the tensions, protesters in Moscow hurled eggs and stones at the Turkish Embassy, breaking windows in the compound. Police cleared the area and made some arrests shortly after the protest began.
Davutoglu told his party's lawmakers on Wednesday that Turkey didn't know the nationality of the plane that was brought down on Tuesday until Moscow announced it was Russian.
He again defended Turkey's action, saying Russia was warned on several occasions that Turkey would take action in case its border is violated in line with its military rules of engagement.
Davutoglu also said Russia is an "important partner and tops the list of countries with which we have shown great sensitivity in building ties."
The Turkish prime minister, however, also criticized Russian and Syrian operations in Syria's Turkmen region, saying there is "not one single" presence of the Islamic State group there. Davutoglu demanded that operations there stop immediately.
COMMENT:
Putin YOU thought you would get away playing hide and seek game with Turkey but Turkey is not the same as Ukraine to gulp whatever you Mr. Putin you have done there. Be sure you would be a loser in the long run.
Instead of begging apology yourself , you are seeking apology from Erdogan. Putin you have misunderstood Erdogan, As the President of Turkey is that personality who made sure Netanyahu to beg apology ultimately so also you Putin you would have to beg apology one day.
If you think you are a super power stooge and that Erdogan would beg apology. Then you are living in fools paradise. No he would never do that because he is on the right side and you Mr. Putin on the wrong side..
Putin you tried to feel the pulse of Erdogan to see if you could apply the same mode of action that you applied on Ukraine. You unfortunately went wrong very badly. Don't try it again as you might land up in serious problem in front of the International Community of Nations.
Putin you sent air defense missiles to Syria to deter Turkey http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5655af7fe4b08e945fea839d via @TheWorldPost. What a poor exhibit, as Russian President's mental aptitude of Judging people? Instead of calmly solving the issue you selected to threaten your neighbor, very bad show.
Putin tell the truth whether you are in Syria to fight a war with the victims of Assad and his committal of genocide criminal terrorists and ISIS or the Coalition those who are fighting with their lives at stake against the ISIS and the inhumane terrorists Assad and his followers.
Overtly, you seem to have come to fight on behalf of the Genocide criminals like Assad and ISIS'S to protect them against the International Community of Nations
Where do you get the gas from to run your war equipment from one place to another and ships on the waters of Mediterranean and near Syria and fly your planes. Isn’t this gas Your friend the criminal Assad purchases from the terrorist ISIS to make you fight.
Now tell the World Community of Nations How you intend helping the terrorists. We are now confirmed you are on the criminal's side. Stop blabbering and shut up threatening the world with your missile capabilities.
No comments:
Post a Comment