Turkey feigns ignorance

Washington: President Barack Obama has expressed US support for Turkey after it shot down a Russian warplane near Syria-Turkey border, saying Ankara has the right to defend its airspace. “Turkey, like every country, has a right to defend its territory and its airspace,” Obama said.

“It is important right now to make sure the Russians and Turks are talking to each other to figure out what happened” and “discourage any kind of escalation,” the US president said.

On Tuesday, NATO member Turkey shot down a Russian warplane, claiming the warplane had repeatedly violated its air space. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the jet had been attacked when it was 1 kilometer inside Syria. He warned of “serious consequences" and called it a “stab in the back” administered by "the accomplices of terrorists.” “We will never tolerate such crimes like the one committed,” Putin said.

Russia has been conducting airstrikes on Daesh positions at the request of the Syrian government since September 30. Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since March 2011. The United States and its regional allies - especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey - have been supporting the militants operating inside Syria since the beginning of the crisis.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is seeking to reduce tensions with Moscow, saying that Russia is Turkey's “friend and neighboor” and insisting relations cannot be “sacrificed to accidents of communication.”

Davutoglu told his party’s lawmakers on Wednesday that Turkey didn’t know the nationality of the plane that was brought down on Tuesday until Moscow announced it was Russian. He again defended Turkey's action, saying Russia was warned on several occasions that Turkey would take action in case its border is violated in line with its military rules of engagement.