All news

Moscow concerned over Turkish fighter incident

The escalation of political propaganda is particularly dangerous

MOSCOW, June 26 (Itar-Tass) —— Moscow is concerned over the developments around the Turkish fighter incident, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Tuesday.

“Moscow is concerned over the developments around the incident with the Turkish warplane shot down by Syrian air defense on June 22,” he said.

“We think it important not to view this incident as a provocative or intentional act and to make sure it does not cause destabilization,” Lukashevich said.

“The escalation of political propaganda, including that on the international level, is particularly dangerous amid efforts to mobilize all the weighty external actors for putting the Syrian process to the political track through the universal implementation of the Kofi Annan plan endorsed by the UN Security Council. We once again urge the sides, both inside and outside of the region, to act exclusively for the benefit of this agenda and to avoid steps exceeding this framework,” the diplomat said.

“Self-control and constructive interaction of Turkey and Syria in the clarification of details of the incident and the prevention of similar tragedies in the future would be the optimal course under these circumstances,” he said.

The incident occurred on Friday, when a Turkish fighter jet flew off on a mission from the Erhach airbase in the Malatya Province. Shortly before noon radio contact with the plane was lost, and it disappeared from radar screens. The incident took place over the sea southwest off the Hatay Province bordering on Syria.

A Syrian military spokesman said the plane had been shot down by Syria’s air defense one kilometer off the Syrian coast. Flying another ten kilometers or so it fell into the sea. According to the military, the fire was opened because the aircraft had violated Syria’s airspace, and the air defense forces acted in line with the law.