NATO Condemns Russian Violations of Turkish Airspace

NATO allies have called on Moscow to take all necessary measures to ensure that  incidents like the recent violations of Turkish airspace by Russian warplanes do not take place in the future.

“Allies strongly protest these violations of Turkish sovereign airspace, and condemn these incursions into and violations of NATO airspace,” the Alliance said in a statement following a meeting of The North Atlantic Council on Monday.

“Allies also note the extreme danger of such irresponsible behaviour. They call on the Russian Federation to cease and desist, and immediately explain these violations.”

The meeting of the ambassadors of the 28 member states was called by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg earlier on Monday to discuss “the potential implications of the recent dangerous military actions of the Russian Federation in and around Syria”.

According to the NATO statement, Russian Air Force Su-30 and Su-24 aircraft violated the Turkish airspace in the Hatay region on Saturday and Sunday. The Russian warplanes left the Turkish airspace after they were intercepted by Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft.

"The information from Russia this morning was that this happened by mistake and that they respect Turkish borders and that it will not be repeated," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a local TV channel earlier on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry in Moscow announced on Monday that over the last 24 hours, Russian combat aircraft have hit nine Islamic State targets in Syria's Hama, Homs, Idlib and Latakia provinces.