Report: Turkish jets shoot down ‘Russian warplane’

Turkish media reports said on Tuesday that Turkish jets shot down a warplane that violated national airspace on the border with Syria. Video footage of the incident showed a warplane crashing onto a hill and two crew members apparently parachuting safely. The Dogan news agency, quoting unnamed military officials, said the plane crashed into Syrian territory close to the border with Turkey. The agency did not say what nation the plane was from, but unconfirmed reports claim the aircraft was a Russian fighter jet. A Turkish government official could not confirm any details but a statement from Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s office said the Turkish leader spoke with Turkey’s military chief and foreign ministry about the incident. It said Davutoglu would start “initiatives” within NATO and the United Nations. Video footage of the incident showed the plane on fire before crashing on a hill, and two parachutes were seen. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the warplane crashed in the Turkmen Mountains region in the coastal province of Latakia. He said it is not yet clear if the warplane was Russian or Syrian. He added that the fate of the pilot and co-pilot is not known yet. The Turkomen Mountains region has been subjected to a government offensive over the past days under the cover of Russian airstrikes. Last month, Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that had also violated Turkey’s airspace.