10 Turkey-Russia Jet Shoot-down Facts - WMNews Ep. 55
It's become one of the most significant incidents between NATO and Russia this century, and it has sent international tension in Syria soaring even higher. Welcome to WatchMojo News, the weekly series from http://www.WatchMojo.com where we break down news stories that might be on your radar. In this instalment, we're counting down 10 crucial facts you should know about the Turkey-Russia Shoot-down.
#10: What Did Turkey Do? The Shoot-down
Russian Ambassador Assassination! 3 Need To Know Facts!
On November 24th 2015, Turkish forces shot down a Russian military jet on the border between Turkey and Syria. It’s the first time a Russian jet has been downed in the area since Moscow began launching airstrikes on Syria in September of 2015. The Su-24 attack aircraft had been flying at an altitude of over 19,500 feet when it was struck by an air-to-air missile, and, according to Russian authorities, it crashed in the Jabal Turkmen area of Syria, around 2.5 miles from the Turkish border.
#9: Why Was the Russian Plane Shot Down? The Airspace
Top 10 Russian Doping Scandal Facts - WMNews Ep. 57
While Russia maintained that the aircraft, which had been travelling as part of a pair, had skirted around Turkish territory, Turkey claimed that it had entered into their airspace. Turkey said that both planes were warned 10 times within 5 minutes to change their route, but the warnings were ignored. According to Turkey, both planes violated airspace for 17 seconds, and the downed plane was originally shot at during that time. The incident was also listed by Turkey as the latest in a series of warnings issued by them to Russia for flying too close to the border.
#8: Where Did the Plane Crash? The Border
10 Colombia-Venezuela Border Crisis Facts - WMNews Ep. 43
The dispute was almost entirely fuelled by conflicting accounts of where the incident actually occurred. Russia says that its plane was skirting the Syria/Turkey border, staying within Syria by at least 0.5 miles. Turkey says that the plane had violated Turkish airspace, crossing over a small southerly tip of territory in the Hatay Province. Upon being struck, the plane was sent into a flaming nose-dive, causing it to crash a short distance inside Syria, in a mountainous region populated by the Turkmen community – a group that Turkey says had previously been targeted by Russian attacks.
#7: What Was Russia’s Response? The Reaction: Part I
10 Vladimir Putin Government Facts - WMNews Ep. 20
Russian leader Vladimir Putin strongly condemned Turkish actions, quickly calling them a ‘stab in the back’, and threatening ‘serious consequences for Russian-Turkish relations’. The President also accused Turkey of funding local terror groups by using oil imported from ISIS territory. And, he expressed disappointment considering the relationship that had been shared between the two countries, saying; ‘We have always treated Turkey… as a friendly state’. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated that he would step down if there were truth in such allegations. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, further accused Turkey of a ‘planned provocation’. Lavrov also indicated that Russia had ‘no intention to go to war with Turkey’, but reasoned that Moscow must react strongly to recent events.
#6: What Was Turkey’s Response? The Reaction: Part II
WMNews: Turkish Military Coup
The initial Turkish response involved the country issuing a report of the incident to NATO, underlining their version of events. And, on November 27th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Putin not to ‘play with fire’. However, in the first few days following crash, it was Turkey more than Russia that seemed intent on rebuilding relations, in light of an international call to ‘de-escalate’ the tension. The Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, published a proverbial olive branch, writing that the shooting down of a Russian plane ‘was not – and is not – an act against a specific country.’ While Turkey promised to continue its ruthless border defense, it seemed hopeful that its relationship with Russia will recover.
#5: What Happened to the Crew? The Pilots
10 Reddit Facts - WMNews Ep. 37
There were two crew members in the downed jet; Lt Col Oleg Anatolyevich Peshkov as pilot, and Capt Konstanin Murakhtin as navigator. Both managed to eject and escape out of the plane itself, and video has emerged showing two figures parachuting toward the ground. However, Lt Col Peshkov was shot dead by ground fire while parachuting, with a Turkmen rebel group in Syria subsequently claiming responsibility. Capt Murakhtin survived, and was retrieved out of Syria as part of a Russian Search and Rescue operation, during which another soldier was killed amid small-arms fire. Peshkov, whose killing goes against the Geneva Convention, has been posthumously awarded the title ‘Hero of the Russian Federation’.
#4: How Is This Connected to the Syrian War and ISIS? The Conflict
Russia and Turkey support different factions within the Syrian Civil War, which will approach its fifth year in 2016. While Russia is a supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey wants al-Assad out, and has provided support to rebel forces, some of which are regarded by the West as radical extremists. While Turkey does not support ISIS, the group behind the Paris terror attacks in November of 2015, rhetoric out of Russia since the shootdown has leveled accusations their way. The incident also has links to ongoing Turkish displeasure with Russia over continued Russian bombing of the Turkmen people – an anti-al-Assad group that Turkey considers to be under its protection.
#3: How Will This Affect Turkey-Russia Relations? The Geopolitical Crisis
10 Ukrainian Crisis Facts - WMNews Ep. 6
As the first time in over half a century that a NATO nation has downed a Russian plane, it’s not surprising that tensions were incredibly high following the shootdown. Russia suspended military cooperation with Turkey, including closure of a ‘hot-line’ designed to avoid air accidents, and announced deployment of large-scale anti-aircraft missiles to its facilities in the region. In general, any trust that had existed between the two nations looked to have been severely damaged by the end of November 2015 - if not destroyed altogether. On the other hand, NATO backed Turkey in what seemed to be an attempt to dissuade Russia away from retaliating too heavily.
#2: How Will This Affect Turkey-Russia Relations? Part II The Sanctions
The Russian response extended beyond its military practice, however, as Russian-Turkish trade was likely to be lessened as well. Russia is Turkey’s second-largest trading partner, but following the shootdown, its government began working on how best to sanction the import of Turkish goods and services. Russia made plans to impose a series of ‘bans and restrictions’ that would restrict the importing of Turkish food. Any Russian-based Turkish companies were also likely to struggle in the wake of the shoot down. Furthermore, Russia advised its nationals to avoid all travel to Turkey, for fear of terrorism that they may encounter there. This will come as a severe blow to Turkey's economy as it is currently the biggest foreign destination for Russian tourists. Furthermore, it suspended its visa-free regime with Turkey, thereby necessitating visas for Turkish visitors traveling to Russia and vice versa.
#1: What Are the International Ramifications? The Consequences
10 USA Gun Rights Debate Facts - WMNews Ep. 33
A problem between two nations will inescapably affect the international community, and this one came at an unfortunate time for those allied against the threat of ISIS. Following the November 13th, 2015 terror attacks on Paris, there had been a unanimous call for solidarity in the fight against ISIS. While that solidarity remained, events on the Turkey/Syria border weakened the unity to some extent, distracting from what had been a common focus. The shoot down represented another awkward development in the Syrian Civil War that may yet prove to have significant long-term consequences. As of December 2015, all eyes were on Russia in anticipation of Putin’s next move. Did these facts get you thinking? To vote for which news story is covered next head over to WatchMojo.com/suggest, and be sure to hit that subscribe button for more newsworthy top tens published every week!
