Turkey Fails to Provide Evidence of 'Airspace Violations' by Russian Planes

Turkey Fails to Provide Evidence of 'Airspace Violations' by Russian Planes

 

Every time Moscow requests evidence that could prove alleged violations of Turkey's airspace by Russian aircraft Ankara withholds such information, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov said.

"Every time [Turkey claims that Russian aircraft violated its airspace] we ask the Turkish side to provide objective control data. I can responsibly state that we have not received the data, including in the case of downing of our aircraft," Karlov told RIA Novosti.

He added that there was only one incident of a Russian plane violating the Turkish airspace while on a combat mission in Syria and it took place in October.

On October 3, a Russian Su-30 Flanker fighter violated Turkish airspace for a few seconds in the province of Hatay near Syria. According to the Russian Aerospace Forces, the plane entered the Turkish airspace when it was conducting maneuvers to avoid a ground-based anti-missile defense system.

On November 24, a Russian Su-24 frontline bomber crashed in Syria during an anti-terrorist operation in this country. The aircraft was downed by an air-to-air missile fired from the Turkish F-16 fighter in response to an alleged violation of Turkish airspace, an accusation denied both by the Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command.

On January 30, the Turkish Foreign Ministry claimed a Russian Su-34 aircraft had violated the country’s airspace the day before. The Russian Defense Ministry has rejected the claim as unfounded.