Kremlin denies violation of Turkish airspace

ISTANBUL

AP photo

The Russian presidency has denied the reported violation of Turkish airspace by a Russian warplane on Jan. 29, in line with the country’s defense ministry’s refutation immediately following a statement by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Jan. 30 that an airspace violation had occurred.

“We proceed from the information declared by our defense ministry. Let me remind you that defense ministry officials dismissed Turkish claims there had been a violation of Turkish airspace by one of our planes,” Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS news agency.

The Russian defense ministry had said on Jan. 30 that no Russian aircraft had violated Turkish airspace.

“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,” spokesperson Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov was quoted as saying by Russia’s Sputnik news agency.

Peskov also said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s request for meeting immediately following the incident.

“Putin was informed of this wish of the president [Erdoğan],” Peskov said, without elaboration
Erdoğan said the Foreign Ministry had made contact with Russia to arrange a meeting with Putin to discuss the incident, but added that Ankara had yet to receive a response. He also added that Russia would have to bear the consequences if violations continued.

Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry dismissed Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s remarks that all details of the breach had been shared with Moscow.

“The Turkish side sent no materials or data on the alleged violation of the Turkish airspace by a Russian jet to the Russian embassy in Ankara. All the statements of the Turkish side do not correspond to reality, diplomatically speaking,” the Russian defense ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 30 that a Russian SU-34 fighter jet had violated its airspace on Jan. 29, a little more than two months after the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey incited a row between Ankara and Moscow. 

The official statement said the Russian jet had been repeatedly warned by Turkish air radar units in both Russian and English.

Russian Ambassador to Ankara Andrei Karlov was also summoned over the incident.

Meanwhile, NATO also confirmed the violation of Turkish airspace.

“I call on Russia to act responsibly and to fully respect NATO airspace,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, urging Moscow to take necessary measures to prevent the repetition of such violations.