Consolidated Syria Conflict Thread

[Barthheart]

Why are the Turks shooting at Russian planes at all? Why not just escort them back out of their air space?

Did they think is was a Syrian plane? Even still they are not at war with Syria so why shoot and not escort?

[Centurion40]

Why are the Turks shooting at Russian planes at all? Why not just escort them back out of their air space?

Did they think is was a Syrian plane? Even still they are not at war with Syria so why shoot and not escort?

Apparently it was warned, repeatedly, to leave Turkish airspace.  Maybe the Turks aren't happy that the Russkies are helping Assad?

Interesting that the Russians are saying that it was shot down from the ground.  Maybe they hope to not escalate against the Turks/NATO.  Maybe they'd like a partnership with NATO, seeing a bigger threat from Muslim extremists.

[undercovergeek]

exactly what the BBC said, saying it was ground based gives them a get out of jail card

but the turks are 'no, no WE definitely shot you down!!'

10 warnings in 5 mins apparently - with all the sabre rattling, cat and mouse flying into other countries air space to see what happens, it was bound to come

[panzerde]

And yet the Turks won't do anything about ISIS...

[Centurion40]

And yet the Turks won't do anything about ISIS...

Perhaps they enjoy the instability.  It is certainly keeping the Kurds busy.

[JasonPratt]

It was highly irresponsible to direct that pilot that close to the border, regardless of how the jet got shot down.  >:(

The salient question is probably, what does Putin gain or thinks he'll gain from brinking the Turks?

(It is of course possible that this was ordered by someone downstream without Putin's permission, but then what did that commander think he was going to gain? Was there an ISIS target, or heh a non-ISIS target, that absolutely needed a setup vector from within Turkish airspace?)

[Centurion40]

Could have been noting more than pilot error.  The Middle East is a fairly compact area to go whizzing around at those speeds.  The fact that it was hit over Turkey and crashed in Syria tells one how close everything is. And I'm not sure that a Fencer can turn on a dime.

[OJsDad]

[Barthheart]

Anyone hear if the pilot got out?

[OJsDad]

Just saw this about the pilots'

"Turkmen Brigade in Syria Says They Shot Pilots While Parachuting"

[Centurion40]

Just saw this about the pilots'

"Turkmen Brigade in Syria Says They Shot Pilots While Parachuting"

Huh.  Well I guess the plot thickens.  I had hoped that the pilots would be returned to Russia unharmed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Turkmen_Brigades

On March 15, 2015, the official Turkmen governor of Mosul, Iraq before the ISIL took over the city, Esil Nuceyfi, recently stated and confirmed that the Turkish Special Forces Command, especially Maroon Berets and military specialists are training Turkmens both in Iraq and Syria. He reported the location of the training camps in Iraq as the Iraqi Turkmen Front and other Iraqi officials have reached on an agreement which allows the training of Turkmens by Turkey and creation of an official Turkmen Brigade under the Iraqi army which will be commanded by an Iraqi Turkmen, under the right to guarantee by the Republic of Turkey, nevertheless he didn't give out the location of Turkish camps in Syria which the Turkmens are being trained, stating that it still takes place unofficially and in a secret way.[6][7] He added that Turkish Forces are training the Syrian Turks to protect their settlements and to join the fight with Syrian Turkmen Brigades in those secretly located camps. Nuceyfi also gave more information saying that Turkish officials have told that military supplies and weapons will be sent to Turkmens in Iraq and Syria in the near future but he isn't acquainted about the exact amount and date.

Later that day, Turkish 'officials' in Ankara, confirmed the statements of Esil Nuceyfi about the before and the positively promising future of the training of Turkmens both in Iraq and Syria .[7]

[LongBlade]

Anyone hear if the pilot got out?

I've got the TV on in the background. Not really paying attention but I have picked up a couple of things.

One report says there were two pilots, one dead. Report says they both bailed out.

I saw another report that said the area where this took place was claimed by Turkey in the 1930s but appears to be disputed by Syria. That might account for the disagreement about which side of the border it took place on.

As with most things like this I expect we'll see contradictory reports for a couple of days before reporters can sort things out. I suspect by the weekend we'll have a good idea as to what actually happened.

[LongBlade]

This looks like the latest info: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11/24/turkish-f-16-shoots-down-russian-fighter-jet-near-syria-border/?intcmp=hpbt1

The Russian jet was a Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer, which is a two-seater.

The report also cites US sources indicating that the jet was on the Turkish side of the border.

And NATO has called for an emergency meeting in order to get a report from Turkey.

[LongBlade]

Hmmm...

Could be someone is trying to send the Russians a subtle message. I wonder what it is?

A Russian rescue helicopter has been shot down by Syrian rebels while searching for pilots missing after Turkey downed a Russian jet.

The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in a government-held area in Syria's Latakia province.

A Syrian insurgent group, which uses U.S. Tow missiles, said its fighters hit the helicopter with an anti-tank missile.

source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/russian-rescue-helicopter-shot-down-6891003

[Sir Slash]

You gotta wonder what Obama told the Turks while he was just there. Or didn't tell them.