Putin Rails Against ‘Accomplices of Terrorists’ After Turkey Shoots Down Russian Fighter Jet

Russian president Vladamir Putin warned of “serious consequences” Tuesday after NATO member country Turkey claimed responsibility for shooting down a Russian military jet allegedly flying over the Turkish-Syrian border.

During a meeting, Putin told King Abdullah of Jordan, “today’s losses is connected with a blow that was delivered as a stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists” adding he “cannot qualify what happened today in any other way.”

“Today’s tragic event will have serious consequences for Russian-Turkish relations,” Putin declared, insisting Russia has “always treated Turkey not only as a neighbor but as a friendly state.”

The Turkish military issued a statement claiming they warned the Russian plane to leave their airspace “10 times in five minutes.” Officials say they acted “within engagement rules” after the pilots ignored their requests.

“Understand this: Turkey is a country whose warnings should be taken seriously and listened to. Don’t test Turkey’s patience. Try to win its friendship,” Serdar Kilic, Turkey’s ambassador to the United States, tweeted:

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu echoed Kilic’s sentiment, insisting “it is our international right and national duty to take any measure against whoever violates our air or land borders.”

Putin rejects claims that the plane was flying over Turkish land. “Our plane was shot down over the territory of Syria by an air-to-air missile from a Turkish F-16 jet,” Putin said. “It fell in Syrian territory four kilometers from the border with Turkey. Our pilots and our plane did not in any way threaten Turkey.”

NATO called an emergency meeting in Brussels Tuesday afternoon to discuss the incident; Putin criticized Turkey for involving NATO before communicating with Russian officials. “The Turkish side immediately turned to their partners from NATO to discuss this incident, as if we shot down their plane and not they ours,” Putin said. He also accused Turkey of working to “make NATO serve ISIS.”

The fate of the two Russian pilots is still unconfirmed. The Free Syrian Army said they shot one “dead from a distance” after he ejected from the plane. A video also surfaced on Live Leak allegedly depicting Syrian rebels surround a pilot while shouting “allahu akbar” (God is Great).

Watch the video above, via Live Leak.

UPDATE – 3:50 P.M. EST ABC News reported that Syrian rebels attacked the helicopter that was sent out on a rescue operation for the downed pilots. One of the chopper pilots was said to be killed, while the rest of the crew landed in “neutral territory.”

[Featured image via Wikimedia Commons]

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