Turkey shoots down Russian jet on Syria border
Turkey has shot down a warplane of unknown origin on the Syrian border, according to a senior Turkish official told Al Jazeera.
Reports said that the plane was downed on Syrian territory in Latakia's Yamadi village.
The plane was downed by the Turkish military according to the rules of engagement because it violated Turkish airspace, the Turkish official said.
The Turkish president's office identified the plane as Russian and that the warplane was warned before it was shot down.
The Russian defence ministry said that an SU-24 jet fighters crashed in Syria as a result of an attack from the ground.
Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Gaziantep, said the plane was shot down near mountains of Antakya.
"What we know so far, a plane was shot down on Syria's border with Turkey, near mountains of Antakya, a scene of a lot of violence of late.
"Witnesses saw two pilots being ejected from the plane," Ahelbarra added.
The Dogan news agency said witnesses informed it that the aircraft crashed over tents built in the village and that the pilots bailed out with the help of parachutes.
Dogan also reported that smoke had been rising from the region.
Ahmed Davutoglu, Turkey's prime minister, ordered the foreign ministry to consult NATO, the UN and related countries on the development, his office said in a statement on Tuesday.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/turkey-shoots-warplane-syria-border-151124081519290.html
consult so many countries for what? if scared why shoot down the plane?
