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NATO Secretary General expresses solidarity with Turkey following Russian air space violation

I just met with the Foreign Minister of Turkey Feridun Sinirlioğlu to discuss the recent military actions of the Russian Federation in and around Syria. Including the unacceptable violations of Turkish airspace by Russian combat aircraft.

I made clear that NATO remains strongly committed to Turkey’s security. I will convene a meeting of the North Atlantic Council later today to discuss the situation.

Russia’s actions are not contributing to the security and stability of the region.  

I call on Russia to fully respect NATO airspace and to avoid escalating tensions with the Alliance.  I urge Russia to take the necessary steps to align its efforts with those of the international community in the fight against ISIL.

Turkish PM: Military to react if Russia violates Turkish border again

NATO says Russia’s intrusion into Turkey’s air space deliberate

NATO’s top official accused Russia of a deliberate incursion into alliance airspace, dismissing Moscow’s assertion that the recent crossing of jets into Turkish territory was a mistake.

“The information and intelligence we have received provides me with reason to say it is not an accident,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a news conference at his headquarters in Brussels.

As defense ministers from the 28-nation alliance prepare to meet on Thursday, NATO faces a series of challenges on its eastern and southern flanks. In Afghanistan, the deadly U.S. bombing of a Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Kunduz promises to complicate NATO planning for its future role in the country.

Stoltenberg said a full investigation had been launched into the bombing, which has sparked allegations of war crimes from the medical nonprofit. All facts must be presented in an “open and transparent way,” he said.

Allies are expected to examine the size and duration of the mission in Afghanistan, though Stoltenberg offered no timeline for a NATO decision on future troop levels there. He said the implications of the recent Afghan fighting season still need to be assessed.

To the south, Russia’s military buildup in Syria and recent incursion into Turkish airspace is a source of rising concern, Stoltenberg said.

“Russia must de-conflict its military activities in Syria,” Stoltenberg said. “I’m also concerned that Russia is not targeting (the Islamic State) but instead attacking the Syrian opposition and civilians.” Moscow says its jets have been bombing Islamic State targets throughout the past week, including command centers, communications hubs, ammunition depots, as well as tanks and other vehicles.

Stoltenberg cited two cases in which Russian combat aircraft crossed into Turkish airspace over the weekend, something Russia said was an error. While crediting intelligence reports to support the view that the crossing was intentional, Stoltenberg offered no specifics and declined to comment on whether Russian radar has locked on Turkish fighters that scrambled to respond.

“This doesn’t look as an accident. This is a serious violation of the airspace. So far, NATO has not accessed military lines of communication to get a full a explanation from Russia, but such a step is being considered,” Stoltenberg said.

Syria: Thoughts On The Russian Air Support | MoA |  

Turkish warplanes harassed by unidentified MIG-29 aircraft | Hürriyet Daily News |  

Eight Turkish F-16 fighters jets were harassed by unidentified MIG-29 aircraft for four minutes and 30 seconds during a patrol flight on the border with Syria on Oct. 5, the Turkish General Staff has said.

In a written statement on Oct. 6, the military also said Syrian anti-aircraft batteries put Turkish jets conducting a border patrol under a radar lock for four minutes and 15 seconds on Oct. 5.

Turkey, a NATO member with its second biggest army, scrambled two F-16 jets on Oct. 3 after a Russian aircraft crossed into its airspace over its southern province of Hatay.

Russian war planes again violated Turkish airspace on Oct. 4, according to Foreign Ministry officials.

Russian fighter jets attacked 10 ISIL targets in Syria including provincial capital Raqqa gateway to Anbar province, Iraq.

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