Turkey: Tense wait continues in Kilis after Russian air strikes hit aid convoy near Turkey border

November 26, 2015 By administrator

The trucks are waiting at the Öncüpınar border gate with Syria in southern Kilis province. (Photo: Cihan)

Hundreds of trucks drivers wait tensely near the Öncüpınar border gate with Syria in southern Kilis province after seven people were killed and 10 were wounded in Russian strikes that hit a convoy taking supplies to refugees in the Azaz area of Halep province in Syria on Wednesday.

Video footage taken at a crossing on the Syrian side of the border of Turkey’s Kilis province on Wednesday showed burning trucks after what aid workers have said was an apparent air strike.

The head of the rebel-run border crossing on the Syrian side said separately that air strikes hit a garage for commercial trailer trucks, killing three people.

“Our teams helped to extinguish the fire … The trucks do not belong to us and there is no information on who bombed them,” Mustafa Özbek, an İstanbul-based official from the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İHH), told Reuters.

The aid worker who filmed the aftermath initially said it appeared to be that the aid trucks were targeted. It was not immediately clear if the strikes were carried out by Russian or Syrian warplanes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) had reported earlier on Thursday that there were intensive Russian airstrikes in Azaz.

Syrian activists: There have been fresh airstrikes near Turkish border

Two groups that track the war — the UK-based SOHR and the Local Coordination Committees — say air strikes hit the highway linking the border town of Azaz with the Bab al-Salameh border crossing to Turkey.

They had no immediate word on casualties. The SOHR has said the warplanes that carried out Thursday’s airstrikes were Russian.

The Western-backed Syrian National Coalition, the main Syrian opposition group, condemned the bombing of Azaz, saying it targeted trucks carrying aid supplies.

Breaking News: Russia Cuts All Military Ties With Turkey

November 26, 2015 By administrator

(sputniknews.com) All military contacts with Turkey have been cut following the downing of Russia’s Su-24 military jet, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

“Today, in accordance with a previously made decision, all cooperation channels have been cut between the Russian Defense Ministry and the Turkish Armed Forces,” ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told reporters.

“This concerns all ties, not just the so-called hotline that was launched in order to avoid possible air incidents during the destruction of terrorist infrastructure in Syria,” he added.

The decision has been made after Turkish fighter jets on Tuesday had shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber, which had been taking part in Russia’s anti-terror campaign in Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the incident as a “stab in the back, carried out against us by accomplices of terrorists.”

Iraq: Russian plane: Turkey may cause war

November 26, 2015 By administrator

Baghdad, Nov. 26, 2015 (AFP) – Iraqi Vice President Nuri al-Maliki on Thursday accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lead the world on the brink of conflict after the crash of a Russian fighter-bomber shot down by the Turkish army.

“Erdogan says that the Russian aircraft entered its airspace for several seconds. He forgets that its aircraft violate Iraqi airspace and Syrian daily “responded in a statement Maliki, an influential Shiite figure who was prime minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014.

“The aggressive policies and double standards Erdogan measures threaten to lead the world into a new war,” he added. Ankara says that Russian fighter-bomber shot dead Tuesday by two Turkish F-16 fighter was in Turkish airspace, while Moscow denounces a “planned provocation” and ensures he was hit in the Syrian sky.

Baghdad has accused Turkey of having played a key role in the emergence of the Islamic State Sunni extremist group that has taken hold in the last two years large areas in Iraq and Syria.

Thursday, November 26, 2015,
Ara © armenews.com

Armenia condemns Turkey who shot down a Russian plane

November 26, 2015 By administrator

In a show of support to its main military ally, Armenia yesterday condemned Turkey who shot down a Russian military aircraft. She added that it undermines international efforts to fight against terrorist groups operating in Syria.

Ohanian, Minister of Defence, at the same time urged the international community to prevent a further escalation of Russian-Turkish tensions. Analysts say it would be dangerous for the security in Armenia.

“I think, at a time when the international community focused on the fight against international terrorism, this may be experienced as a direct blow in the direction of these efforts,” said Ohanian in what was the first Armenian reaction the incident on Tuesday near the Syrian-Turkish border.

Russian Su-24 bomber was shot by a Turkish F-16 fighter after attacking rebel forces in a Syrian area north of the Turkish border. Ankara insists that the warplane was destroyed because he had violated the airspace of Turkey, a claim strongly denied by Moscow.

Speaking a few hours after the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin has described as a “stab in the back” led by “accomplices of terrorists” and warned that it would have “serious consequences” for Russia Relations -turques.

The incident and ensuing recriminations raised concerns about the fact that Armenia, which hosts a Russian military base deployed along its closed border with Turkey, can be drawn into a potential military confrontation between the two powers regional. Some Russian politicians and pro-government experts have called the Kremlin to strengthen this base with more advanced weapons.

The base is already equipped with 18 MiG-29 fighter jets, a similar number of attack helicopters and air defense systems S-300. A security threat because Turkey has long been the main official reason for the Russian military presence in Armenia.

According to the authority of the Civil Aviation of Armenia, the Turkish military helicopters violated the airspace of Armenia twice early October, just days after Ankara accused Russian aircraft of straying on Turkish territory Syria. Yerevan has chosen not to protest official.

Ohanian did not say if the units of the Armenian army near the border with Turkey and the Russian troops stationed in Armenia have been put on alert. “We have a business planning joint struggle with Russia and our actions we perform together as part of this planning,” he only said, remaining vague.

“We are a strategic partner of the Russian Federation,” said Ohanian. “I think we should wait and see how it evolves. World leaders will then take the appropriate decisions. “

“I think the international community must now also make efforts to prevent escalation,” he added at a joint press conference with Serbian Minister of Defence, Bratislav Gasic.

The Armenian government has been very critical à-vis the role of Turkey in the Syrian civil war. He pointed to Ankara after the Islamist rebels, including members of al-Qaeda Al Nosra Front, captured the Syrian city populated by Armenians, Kessab, and moved its 2000 inhabitants in March 2014.

Thursday, November 26, 2015,
Claire © armenews.com

Armenia Must Liberate its Western Territories under Turkish ocupation, Says Russian Politician

November 26, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)—The head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, announced during an episode of “Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” on Russia 1TV that Armenians must be allowed to liberate their western territories.

Zhirinovsky said that, “Armenians could do that in 1918 if Moscow supported them, but it [Moscow] was on the Turkish side.”

“If we allow Armenians to liberate their western territories, they will be glad to do that,” he said.

Zhirinovsky also talked about supporting the Kurds.

“Kurds expect our support. If we tell the Kurds that we recognize their independence, their population reaches, as we know, to 20 million, and the capital is already known, it is Diyarbakır. Hence, Eastern Anatolia will cease to exist in the form we know. As a result, there will be independent Kurdistan and Great Armenia,” he said.

Russia PM Medvedev orders retaliatory economic measures against Turkey

November 26, 2015 By administrator

Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered his government to draw up retaliatory economic measures against Turkey amid ongoing tensions between the two sides over Ankara’s downing of Russian military aircraft over Syrian skies.

“The government has been ordered to work out a system of response measures to this act of aggression in the economic and humanitarian spheres,” Medvedev told his cabinet in a meeting on Thursday in Moscow.

The Russian premier also called on his ministers to draw up plans that would include freezing some joint investment projects, restricting financial and trade transactions, changing customs duties and restrictions on food imports from Turkey.

The measures can also target the tourism and transport sectors as well as labor markets Medvedev also said during the meeting, adding, “I propose doing all this in a period of two days so that we can move to setting up the appropriate procedures as quickly as possible.”

During the meeting, Russian Economy Minister Alexey Ulyukaev said the TurkStream gas pipeline project may be subject to restrictions. The major gas pipeline project, whose construction began in June, would supply Russian natural gas to Turkey, when finished.

Ulyukaev further announced possible bans on civil flights to and from Turkey, and a halt to preparations for a free trade zone.

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture also said it has tasked food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor with stepping up checks on food and agriculture imports from Turkey.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Turkey is consciously attempting to bring Moscow-Ankara relations to a standstill.

Tensions between Moscow and Ankara skyrocketed after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet conducting airstrikes against terrorists inside Syria near the Turkish border on Tuesday.

NATO member Turkey claims the aircraft was downed after it violated its air space, but Russia denies Ankara’s claim, maintaining that the jet was brought down in Syrian airspace.

Russia has been carrying out aerial operations against Takfiri terrorists in Syria since September 30 upon a request by the Damascus government.

Turkey has time and again been accused of aiding and abetting supporters of militant groups operating in Syria.

Russia: Bill outlawing Genocide denial aims to restore justice: Duma vice-speaker

November 26, 2015 By administrator

Co-author of the draft law on criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide explained in a conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net the reason behind submitting the bill to the parliament against the backdrop of tense relations between Moscow and Ankara.

“It is a well-known fact that the Armenian Genocide was much discussed in the centennial commemoration year,” Deputy Chairman of Russia’s State Duma Nikolay Levichev said. “On the eve of 2015, the party Fair Russia organized a large international conference on the Genocide. In April, 2015, the lower House of the Russian Parliament adopted a declaration, expressing solidarity with the brotherly Armenian people and calling on the international community to resolve conflicts through dialogue, without use of force. Besides, a State Duma delegation participated in April’s commemoration ceremonies in Yerevan.”

For this reason, Levichev said, the draft bill on the criminalization of Genocide denial was a continuation of this year’s events, serving, first of all, as a reminder of the need to restore historical justice.

The vice-speaker said, however, that the international situation has certainly influenced the submission of the legislative initiative. The actions of the Islamic State group much resemble genocide: massacres are perpetrated, Christian holy sites are destroyed.

“If we don’t pay due attention to the facts of the past to defend the historical truth, we are doomed to repeat the bloody events,” he said.

It is already clear, Levichev added, that the discussions on the bill will lead to debates outside the parliament, some of the colleagues from other parliamentary factions having already expressed the view that criminalization of Genocide denial is “an excessive measure.”

Helicopter crashes in Russia, one crewmember was Armenian

November 26, 2015 By administrator

A helicopter crashed Thursday several minutes after taking off from Igarka Airport in Krasnoyarsk Krai (region), Russia.

According to preliminary information, the chopper’s crew comprised two pilots and one aircraft mechanic with considerable flight experience, and all of them died in the crash.

First pilot of the helicopter was Aleksandr Monakhov, 54.

Second pilot of the chopper was Armenian, Levon Tananyan, 53, reported LifeNews, which is a Russian news website and TV.

And the aircraft mechanic was Radik Valeev, 54.

Russia Could Restrict Imports From Turkey as Early as Thursday

November 25, 2015 By administrator

Russia could officially announce restrictions of imports from Turkey on Thursday, as a responsive measure to the downing of the Su-24 jet, although an embargo is not being considered for the short-term, the Russsian Kommersant newspaper reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Tuesday, a Russian Su-24 jet crashed in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the plane was downed by an air-to-air missile launched by a Turkish F-16 jet over Syrian territory, falling 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Turkish border. Putin described the Turkish attack as a “stab in the back” carried out by “accomplices of terrorists.”

“In the near future Russia will restrict product supplies from Turkey — already today a relevant official announcement could be made,” Kommersant said on Thursday citing a ministry source.

According to the source, ways of restricting Russia’s imports from Turkey are currently being worked out.

“An embargo, like in the case of the EU, the US, Australia, Norway and Canada, will not be imposed, at least in the short-term,” Kommersant specified. Russia imposed an embargo on the above countries in response to Western anti-Russia sanctions, introduced over Moscow’s alleged interference in the Ukrainian conflict.

On Wednesday, Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor announced health and sanitary claims against a Turkish company specializing in poultry production and processing.

The service banned entry of over 162 tons of Turkish chicken into the Russian westernmost Kaliningrad Region, citing difference between seal numbers mentioned in the veterinary certificate and the actual numbers on the containers with products.

According to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Russia could halt important bilateral projects with Turkey over the downing of the Su-24 plane.

Ankara has claimed that it downed the Russian airplane because it violated Turkish airspace. Both the Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command confirmed that the Su-24 plane never crossed into Turkish airspace and was downed over Syrian territory.

Turkey Godfather of ISIS Turkish Prime Minister: I Gave Order to Shoot Down Russia’s Plane Myself

November 25, 2015 By administrator

As details continue to emerge about the downing of a Russian bomber along the Turkey-Syria border on Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has admitted to personally giving the order to fire on the aircraft, Canadian news outlet ThinkPol reported.

Hours after the incident which destroyed a Russian Su-24 bomber and left one pilot dead, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went on the defensive, blaming an alleged incursion of Turkish airspace

“We did not want this situation to happen, but everybody has to respect Turkey’s right to defend its borders,” he told reporters, adding that the military’s actions were “fully in line with Turkey’s rules of engagement.”

Many of the Turkish claims have already been called into question, raising doubts that the incident was a mere in-the-moment misunderstanding. Adding to that doubt are comments made by Davutoglu on Wednesday, in which he took direct responsibility for the crash.

“Despite all the warnings, we had to destroy the aircraft,” he said during a meeting with his party, according to Canadian news site ThinkPol. “The Turkish Armed Forces carried out orders given by me personally.”

Given the speed with which the incident occurred, it’s hard to know what to make of Davutoglu’s claim. According to the Turkish government’s own letter of explanation written to the United Nations Security Council, the military gave the Russian jet a series of warnings during a five-minute stretch, warning the pilots to move away from the border.

While the Russian Ministry of Defense has provided video evidence proving that the bomber never entered Turkish airspace, Ankara’s claim alleges that the incursion occurred for only 17 seconds.

It’s hard to imagine military personnel getting through to such a high-ranking government official, explaining the situation, and still having time to fire in a 17-second time frame.

Davutoglu’s statements seem to back up comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier on Wednesday, suggesting that the incident had been premeditated.

“We have serious doubts that it was unintentional, it looks like a planned provocation,” he said. “We are not planning to wage a war against Turkey, our attitude towards the Turkish people has not changed. We have questions only to the Turkish leadership.”

In response, Turkey’s Western allies in NATO have urged for calm.

“What we are calling for now is calm and de-escalation,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday. “Diplomacy and de-escalation are important to resolve this question.”

This was also echoed by US President Barack Obama, who told reporters “It’s very important for us right now to make sure both the Russians and the Turks are talking to each other to find out exactly what happened and take measures to discourage any kind of escalation.”

While one of the pilots was killed by ground fire after ejecting from the aircraft, the other, Captain Konstantin Murahtin, was rescued. Murahtin also denied that his plane ever entered Turkish airspace, and also refuted claims that Turkey had given multiple warnings.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the incident as a “stab in the back by accomplices of terrorists.”