Turkey downed fighter jet within the rules of engagement: Erdoğan

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks during a meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. AP photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Turkey has interfered in one of the two Russian jets which violated the Turkish air space within the rules of engagement, adding that Turkey did not bear enmity for its neighbors.

“Despite all warnings, a fighter jet of unknown identity was interfered within the rules of engagement. The jet unfortunately insisted on its violation despite it had been warned ten times and our F-16’s downed one of the jets as a result of the intervention,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan also said that everyone should respect Turkey’s right to defend its borders.

“Everyone should respect Turkey’s right to defend its own borders. Turkey sincerely supports opposition groups in Syria,” Erdoğan said, adding that no one should doubt that Turkey put all efforts to avert today’s incident.

Erdoğan expressed his concern over the attacks targeting Turkmens.

“We strongly condemn attacks focusing on the places where Bayırbucak Turkmens live. We have relatives and cognates living there,” Erdoğan said, pointing that the region was not an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) area.

Erdoğan added that Bashar al-Assad regime and its supporters have carried new attacks.

“Assad regime and countries that support it have embarked on new attacks, conflicting with the Vienna spirit,” Erdoğan said speaking at a reception for Teacher’s Day.