FIGHTER JET DOWNING

Russia terms it provocation

Turkish embassy in Moscow attacked

Russia yesterday accused Turkey of a “planned provocation” over the downing of a warplane on the Syrian border but pledged not to go to war as NATO-member Ankara sought to play down tensions, reports AFP from Moscow.
As the diplomatic fallout from Tuesday’s incident raged on, Moscow said Russian and Syrian special forces had rescued one of the pilots who ejected from the burning Russian plane but confirmed the second airman was dead.
The jet downing has threatened ties between two major rival players in the Syrian war and raised fears it could escalate into a wider geopolitical conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ratcheted up the pressure after talking to Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu by phone in the first contact between the two sides since the plane went down.
“We have serious doubts about this being an unpremeditated act, it really looks like a planned provocation,” Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow.
“We do not plan to go to war with Turkey, our attitude toward the Turkish people has not changed,” Lavrov added, but warned that Moscow would “seriously reevaluate” relations with Ankara.
Meanwhile, several hundred young activists yesterday hurled stones and eggs at Turkey's embassy in Moscow and brandished anti-Turkish placards after Ankara downed a Russian warplane on the Syrian border.
The activists threw eggs, paint and paper planes at the diplomatic mission and broke several windows as Moscow police urged them to stop the protest but did not intervene, an AFP photographer reported from the scene.  Some chanted "We will not forget, we will not forgive" and also yelled slurs directed at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

 

FIGHTER JET DOWNING

Russia terms it provocation

Turkish embassy in Moscow attacked

Russia yesterday accused Turkey of a planned provocation over the downing of a warplane on the Syrian border but pledged not to go to war as NATO-member Ankara sought to play down tensions, reports AFP from Moscow. As the diplomatic fallout from Tuesdays incident raged on, Moscow said Russian and Syrian special forces had rescued one of the pilots who ejected from the burning Russian plane but confirmed the second airman was dead. The jet downing has threatened ties between two major rival players in the Syrian war and raised fears it could escalate into a wider geopolitical conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ratcheted up the pressure after talking to Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu by phone in the first contact between the two sides since the plane went down. We have serious doubts about this being an unpremeditated act, it really looks like a planned provocation, Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow. We do not plan to go to war with Turkey, our attitude toward the Turkish people has not changed, Lavrov added, but warned that Moscow would seriously reevaluate relations with Ankara. Meanwhile, several hundred young activists yesterday hurled stones and eggs at Turkeys embassy in Moscow and brandished anti-Turkish placards after Ankara downed a Russian warplane on the Syrian border. The activists threw eggs, paint and paper planes at the diplomatic mission and broke several windows as Moscow police urged them to stop the protest but did not intervene, an AFP photographer reported from the scene. Some chanted We will not forget, we will not forgive and also yelled slurs directed at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.