  Turkey shoots down Russian warplane near Syria border [updated] (video)![Turkey shoots down Russian warplane near Syria border [updated]](https://media.pn.am/media/issue/201/138/photo/201138.jpg "Turkey shoots down Russian warplane near Syria border [updated]")  November 24, 2015 - 12:47 AMTPanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish fighter jets shot down a warplane near the Syrian border after it violated Turkey's airspace on Tuesday, November 24, a Turkish military official said, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said a Russian jet was downed near Syrian border, refuting the news that the plane crossed the Syrian border into Turkish skies. "We are looking into the circumstances of the crash of the Russian jet," Russia's Defense Ministry said. "The Ministry of Defense would like to stress that the plane was over the Syrian territory throughout the flight." Russia said the Su-24 was downed by artillery fire, but Turkey claimed that its F-16s fired on the Russian plane after it ignored several warnings. The ministry said the pilots parachuted but added that Moscow had no further contact with them. Video footage of the incident showed a warplane on fire before crashing on a hill and two crew members apparently parachuting safely. Footage from private broadcaster Haberturk TV showed a warplane going down in flames in a woodland area, a long plume of smoke trailing behind it. The plane went down in area known by Turks as "Turkmen Mountain" in northern Syria near the Turkish border, Haberturk said. Separate footage from Turkey's Anadolu Agency showed two pilots parachuting out of the jet before it crashed. Russia has repeatedly carried out air strikes in Syria in defense of President Bashar al-Assad. Russia’s defense ministry was not immediately available for comment. Turkey called this week for a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss attacks on Turkmens in neighboring Syria, and last week Ankara summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the bombing of their villages. Ankara has traditionally expressed solidarity with Syrian Turkmens, who are Syrians of Turkish descent. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has spoken with the chief of military staff and the foreign minister about the developments on the Syrian border, the prime minister's office said in a statement, without mentioning the downed jet. He has ordered the foreign ministry to consult with NATO, the United Nations and related countries on the latest developments, his office said. Related links:   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Topic Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
