The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that no Russian aircraft had violated Turkish airspace, adding that neither Russian air defense in Syria, nor Syrian radards had detected violations of Turkish borders by a Russian Su-34 warplane as Ankara claimed earlier in the day.
Turkey’s reports of an alleged violation of Turkish airspace by a Russian Su-34 are unfounded and “propaganda,” the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.
“There were no violations of Turkish airspace by aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic. Turkish authorities’ statements of an alleged violation of Turkish airspace by a Russian Su-34 jet are naked propaganda,” Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.
The alleged incident involving a Su-34 fighter bomber took place on Friday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said earlier in the day, adding that the plane had been warned by Turkish air radar units.
“None of these radars are able to establish the type and affiliation of an aircraft — whether it belongs to Russia or to the so-called US-led anti-ISIL [Daesh] coalition,” Konashenkov told reporters.
He emphasized that neither Russian air defense systems in Syria nor Syrian radar stations detected any violations of the Turkey-Syria border.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said earlier in the day it had summoned the Russian ambassador after an alleged incident involving a Su-34 fighter bomber. On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he wanted to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin after the incident.
© SPUTNIK/ ALEXEI DRUZHININ
Russia’s Reaction to Turkey Downing Su-24 ‘Is More Than Reserved’ – Putin
On November 24, a Turkish F-16 fighter shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber with two pilots on board over Syria. Ankara claimed it had downed the Russian warplane as it had allegedly violated Turkish airspace. Both the Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command have confirmed that the Russian jet never crossed into Turkish airspace.
In response to Ankara’s “stab in the back,” as the incident has been described by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow imposed a number of economic measures on Turkey.