Turkish warplane ‘missing’ near Syrian border
The Turkish military said it lost radio contact with the F-4 while it was flying over Hatay
22 June 2012 Last updated at 18:06
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18554246
Turkey’s government has called an emergency security meeting amid reports that one of its fighter jets was shot down by Syrian security forces.
The Turkish military lost contact with an F-4 Phantom over the Mediterranean Sea, south-west of Hatay province.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told a news conference there is still no confirmation of what brought the jet down, nor of the fate of its two crew.
He was earlier quoted as saying: “The other side have expressed regret”.
Relations between Turkey and Syria, once close allies, have deteriorated sharply since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.
‘Syrian waters’
The Turkish military said it lost radio contact with the F-4 at 1158 (0858 GMT) on Friday while it was flying over Hatay, about 90 minutes after it took off from Erhac airbase in the province of Malatya, to the north-west.
The private news channel, NTV, later cited unnamed military sources as saying that the plane had crashed off Hatay’s Mediterranean coast, in Syrian territorial waters, but that there had been no border violation.
The Syrian coast guard was helping the Turkish coast guard, navy and air force search for the two crew members and the plane, NTV reported.
Witnesses in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia meanwhile told BBC Arabic that Syrian air defences had shot down an unidentified aircraft near the town of Ras al-Basit.
Lebanon’s al-Manar television channel – controlled by Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah movement, an ally of the Syrian government – also reported that Syrian security sources had said that “Syrian air defences shot down a Turkish warplane and hit another in Syrian airspace”.
There was no immediate confirmation from Turkish officials, but later it was announced that Mr Erdogan would be holding an emergency meeting to discuss the incident with his interior, defence and foreign ministers and the Chief of the General Staff, Gen Necdet Ozel.
Mr Erdogan was also said to have told Turkish reporters on a flight back from Brazil on Friday afternoon that “the other side” had expressed regret over the downing of the F-4, and also that the pilots had been recovered.
Until you know for sure direct from the Syrian Governments own mouth and writings then you cannot say Syria has done this event. This may be a false-flag situation by the John McCain camp who are controlling the Al-Qaeda Germ Rebel Terrorists and the operations against Syria. McCain and Clinton would always have to resort to kicking off a regional war if their devious plans were struggling which they badly have been. A war between their Turkey and Syria is far more acceptable initially than a Western allied attack. Of course this could lead to different nations coming in ready for the World War III and certainly Iran who have a security pact with Syria. Russia has its base in Syria as we all know. Funny how this event happens just as the largest ever military drills are soon to occur in the region with Syria, Iran, China and Russia, the latter preparing to protect their borders from terrorist imperialism by demented nuts like McCain. All of which are working for The Worshipful Company of Mercers and its Livery Patent Pool under the Crusading Vatican veils and its Knights of Malta. Erdogan sings to the tune of Emperor Juan Carlos of Spain the Protector of the Holy Sites of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
-= The Unhived Mind
UHM – THE WAR IS ON, FOOD RATIONS, BROWNS OUTS & POLICE STATE LOCK DOWNS DUE AT ANY TIME
http://theunhivedmind.com/wordpress/?p=24413
‘Syria turns missiles towards Turkey’
Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:22PM GMT
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/212313.html
Turkish sources say that Syria has turned its Russian-made SCUD missiles towards Turkey, Press TV reports.
The sources said that the missiles have been deployed in Syria’s Kamisili and Ayn Diwar regions, Press TV’s Ankara correspondent reported on Saturday.
The two regions are close to the borders of Turkey and Iraq.
This comes as Turkey has recently stepped up its rhetoric against the Syrian government. Reports have also emerged suggesting that Turkey is harboring Syrian armed opposition groups.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March, with demonstrations being held both against and in support of President Assad.
Damascus says the unrest has been largely incited by elements that are well-paid and armed by foreign powers. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.
The opposition and Western countries accuse Syrian security forces of being behind the killings in the country, but the government blames what it describes as outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups for the deadly violence, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.
Israel spied on Turkish Air Force training flights: report
Thu May 3, 2012 1:46PM GMT
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/239382.html
Israel has wiretapped communications between Turkish fighter jet pilots in order to find out details about the Turkish Air Force’s training programs and flight strategies.
Israel spied on the conversations between the pilots during their training flights at the Konya 3rd Main Jet Base Command, the Turkish daily Habertürk reported on Wednesday.
The report added that, the move has prompted the Turkish Air Force to initialize a project to encrypt the communications between the fighter jets and Turkish engineers are currently working to develop a software system for encoding.
Relation between Ankara and Tel Aviv were severely strained after the killing of nine Turkish activists in a violent assault by Israeli commandos on the Turkish ferry, the Mavi Marmara, which was part of the Free Gaza flotilla trying to break Israel’s now 5-year siege on the impoverished Gaza Strip in May 2010.
Turkey demanded an apology from the Tel Aviv regime, but Israel adamantly refused to apologize. Ankara broke off diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv, expelled the Israeli ambassador and froze military cooperation with Israel.
Syrian military says it downed Turkish fighter jet
The Turkish military said it lost radio contact with the F-4 while it was flying over Hatay
22 June 2012 Last updated at 23:40
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18561219
The Syrian military has said it shot down a Turkish plane “flying in airspace over Syrian waters”, according to state-run news agency Sana.
“[The jet] was dealt with in accordance with the laws that govern such situations,” a military spokesman said.
Turkey had earlier said it believed that one of its F-4 fighter jets had been shot down by Syrian forces.
A search for the two crew members is under way, involving Turkish and Syrian coast guard ships.
The F-4 Phantom disappeared over the Mediterranean, south-west of Hatay province, near the Syrian coast.
A military spokesman told Sana that an “unidentified target” had broached Syrian airspace from a westerly direction at 11:40 local time (08:40 GMT) on Friday.
The target was flying at high speed and at low altitude, the spokesman said.
Anti-aircraft defences had hit the plane with artillery, bringing it down in the sea 10km (6.2 miles) off the coast of Latakia province, he added.
“It later became clear the target was a Turkish military plane which had entered our airspace,” he continued.
‘Decisive response’
Earlier on Friday evening, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a two-hour emergency meeting with his interior, defence and foreign ministers and the Chief of the General Staff, Gen Necdet Ozel.
Mr Erdogan’s office said that Turkey would respond decisively once all the circumstances were established.
Given the breakdown in relations between the two countries over the Syrian conflict, this incident has the potential to provoke a serious crisis, the BBC’s Jonathan Head in Istanbul reports.
Relations between Nato-member Turkey and Syria, once close allies, have deteriorated sharply since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.
Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees have fled the violence across the border into Turkey.
Erdogan Meets Generals After Syria Shoots Turkish Plane
By Benjamin Harvey and Ali Berat Meric – Jun 23, 2012 4:42 PM GMT+0100
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-22/turkish-warplane-lost-over-sea-near-syrian-coastline-1-.html
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan summoned Turkey’s political and military leaders for a second day to discuss the country’s response after Syria shot down a Turkish warplane over the Mediterranean Sea.
Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu were meeting with army and intelligence chiefs in the capital, Ankara. After a similar summit that ended in the early hours of today, the government announced that Syria shot down the plane and that Turkey will “decisively take the necessary steps” when it has established all the details. Davutoglu will make a statement on Turkey’s response tomorrow morning, the ministry said.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said today that the pilots still haven’t been found. Syrian rescue teams have joined in the search, President Abdullah Gul said earlier today. Deputy premier Bulent Arinc said Turkey must “stay calm and avoid provocation,” Hurriyet newspaper reported.
The incident may add to tensions between the countries over Syria President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown against opponents of his rule, which has left more than 10,000 dead. Syria has criticized Turkey for hosting meetings of opposition groups, while Turkey has called for a change of regime in its southern neighbor.
Syrian artillery shot down the Turkish jet as it flew low and fast over its territorial waters 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from land before noon yesterday, and it splashed down 10 kilometers offshore, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency cited an unidentified military spokesman as saying.
No Ill Intent
Gul, speaking to reporters in the central city of Kayseri, said it was “impossible to cover over a thing like this,” the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. He said that it was routine for warplanes flying over the sea to cross briefly into other countries’ territorial waters “without any ill intent,” adding that it’s not yet clear where the plane was shot down.
Erdogan, previously an Assad ally, has repeatedly called in recent months for the Syrian leader to step down and end the bloodshed. Several thousand Syrians have sought refuge in Turkey. In April, two people seeking to flee into Turkey were wounded by gunfire across the border from Syrian forces, prompting reports in Milliyet and other Turkish newspapers that Turkey’s army was considering establishing a buffer zone inside Syria.
U.S. intelligence officers based in southern Turkey are working to determine which Syrian opposition groups should receive arms across the Turkish border, and Turkey is helping pay for the weapons along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the New York Times reported June 21, citing U.S. and Arab officials.
Diplomatic Channels
Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, hasn’t raised the issue of the downed plane at a NATO level, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters yesterday, according to the department’s website. NATO rules allow members that suffer attacks to request support from the organization.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hopes that the two countries will show restraint and resolve the issue through diplomatic channels, Anatolia said citing his spokesman, Martin Nesirky.
UN Syria envoy Kofi Annan, speaking yesterday before the Turkish plane was reported missing, said that talks are under way for a conference on Syria to be held in Geneva on June 30, to which all potential contributors to a solution would be invited.
Search and Rescue
The Turkish plane, an F-4 fighter with two crewmen, had taken off at 10:30 a.m. yesterday from the military airfield at Malatya in southwestern Turkey, Anatolia said. According to the Turkish Air Force website, the base is home to F-4E Phantom II fighter-bombers, which were built from 1958 to 1981 by St. Louis-based McDonnell Douglas Corp., which in 1997 merged with Boeing Co. (BA), based in Chicago.
The Turkish military lost contact with the plane at 11:58 a.m. local time yesterday and began search-and-rescue operations, according to a statement on the army’s website.
Turkish warplane downed by Syria ‘may have crossed border’
The Turkish military lost radio contact with the F-4 Phantom while it was flying over Hatay province
23 June 2012 Last updated at 14:39
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18562210
Turkey’s President, Abdullah Gul, has said the Turkish fighter jet shot down by Syria’s air defence forces on Friday may have violated Syrian airspace.
Mr Gul said it was routine for warplanes flying at high speed to cross borders for short distances.
Syria has said it engaged the aircraft in its airspace “according to the laws that govern such situations”, and that it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.
The Turkish and Syrian navies are searching for the two crew members.
Relations between Nato-member Turkey and Syria, once close allies, have deteriorated sharply since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. More than 30,000 Syrian refugees have fled the violence across the border into Turkey.
After a cross-border shooting by Syrian security forces in April that left two refugees dead at a camp near the town of Kilis, Turkey said it would not tolerate any action that it deemed violating its security.
‘Not ill-intentioned’
On Saturday, President Gul said the Turkish government could not ignore the fact that Syria had shot down a Turkish aircraft.
“It is not possible to cover over a thing like this, whatever is necessary will be done,” he was quoted as saying by state news agency, Anatolia.
“It is routine for jet fighters to sometimes fly in and out over [national] borders… when you consider their speed over the sea,” he added.
“These are not ill-intentioned things but happen beyond control due to the jets’ speed.”
Mr Gul said an investigation would look at whether the plane had been shot down in Turkish airspace, and also revealed that Ankara had been in contact with Damascus despite both countries declaring each other’s diplomats unwelcome earlier this year.
“We withdrew our envoy from Syria for security reasons. This does not mean that we have no contacts,” he explained.
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc later said the jet had been on a reconnaissance mission, state television reported.
The BBC’s Jonathan Head in Istanbul reports that the Turkish government is treating the loss of the aircraft very seriously, but also with great caution.
Despite public anger over the suffering of civilians in Syria, Ankara has been very reluctant to consider military intervention, our correspondent says.
It will not rush into a military response to this incident either, he adds.
Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Syria have been downgraded to their lowest possible level without completely breaking them.
But the speed with which the coastguards of the two countries organized a joint search-and-rescue operation for the two missing crew members from the plane suggests there are still avenues of communication between their military forces, our correspondent adds.
‘Unidentified target’
The Turkish military said it lost radio contact with the F-4 Phantom at 11:58 (08:58 GMT) on Friday while it was flying over Hatay province, about 90 minutes after it took off from Erhac airbase in the province of Malatya, to the north-west.
Alleged flightpath of downed Turkish F-4 Phantom
1. F-4 Phantom takes off from Erhac airbase, Turkey, at approximately 10:28 local time (07:28 GMT), on 22 June
2. Syria says the jet enters its airspace at 11:40 (08:40 GMT)
3. Turkish military loses contact with the plane at 11:58 (08:58 GMT), while it is over Hatay province
4. Syria says its air defences engaged aircraft about 1km (0.6 miles) from the coast and that it crashed into the sea 10km (6 miles) west of Om al-Tuyour
Later, the Syrian military said an “unidentified air target” had penetrated Syrian airspace from the west at 11:40 local time (08:40 GMT), travelling at very low altitude and at high speed.
It said that in line with the laws prevailing in such cases, Syrian air defences engaged the craft, and scored a direct hit about 1km (0.6 miles) from its coastline.
It burst into flames, and crashed into the sea at a point 10km (6 miles) from the village of Om al-Tuyour, off the coast of Latakia province, well within Syrian territorial waters, the statement added.
Syrian television showed a map charting the aircraft’s movements, coming in from over the sea near northern Cyprus.
The military statement said that after it “became clear the target was a Turkish military plane which had entered our airspace”, the naval commands of the two countries were in touch, and a joint operation was going on to find the missing crew members.
This is clearly intentional. This F4 is too damn old probably waiting to be scrapped off. From the news report it is equipped with reconnaissance role and not armed. I think this is sent to be destroyed to trigger a war. Or to test water. From the simple straight and low flight path, I think is has already been modified as drone and no one is dead.Real pilot will maneuver and I think no one will be so stupid to do so. From the map you can see the jet make a huge circle to tell the radar he is there and head for the charge to death.
Or maybe more secret in this that it might not even be F4 and could be something else carrying dangerous stuff like nuke, chem or bio-weapons. To blow up the border town and causing death and blame on Syrian gov. Note that Syrian shore is now protected by Russian missile defense dome. Maybe Putin and the Chinese has had enough and lets get down with it. Just in time for the 30,000 “Mongol horde” to move into middle east and get down to business. Feels like history repeating with NATO Crusader coming from the sea and Golden Horde from the Caucus.
Turkey pleads for Nato intervention over fighter shot down by Syria
Nato agrees to meet to discuss the incident
Foreign Secretary William Hague condemns Syria’s actions
Two Turkish airmen still missing
By Ian Drury
24 June 2012 | UPDATED: 13:24, 25 June 2012
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2163910/Turkey-pleads-Nato-intervention-fighter-shot-Syria.html
Military intervention in Syria moved a step nearer after Nato announced it would meet to discuss the shooting down of a Turkish warplane.
Amid a tense stand-off, Ankara invoked Article 4 of the defence alliance which allows a member state to consult allies if its security is threatened.
Two Turkish airmen were still missing last night after their unarmed F-4 Phantom jet was shot down by Syrian forces.
A F4 Phantom Turkish fighter jet was shot down by Syrian security forces over international waters, say Turkey
Turkey’s foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the jet ‘momentarily’ strayed into Syrian airspace during Friday’s training flight but was shot down after returning to international airspace.
Damascus insisted the ‘unidentified’ aircraft was engaged while over Syrian territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from the coastline.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the ‘deplorable’ incident underlined the need for Syrian president Bashar Assad’s brutal regime to go.
He said: ‘This outrageous act underlines how far beyond accepted behaviour the Syrian regime has put itself and I condemn it wholeheartedly.
‘The Assad regime should not make the mistake of believing it can act with impunity. It will be held to account for its behaviour.’
Whitehall sources said Ankara’s decision to call the Nato meeting in Brussels tomorrow meant the prospect of military intervention would be discussed.
Earlier this month Mr Hague suggested the UK may send troops to Syria if the country spiralled into a Bosnian-style civil war.
More than 14,000, mostly civilians, have been killed in the past 15 months since Assad ordered his soldiers to crush an uprising.
÷Russia is to defy David Cameron by sending back to Syria a cargo ship loaded with helicopter gunships blocked by the UK last week.
The MV Alaed was yesterday in the Arctic port of Murmansk as sources in Moscow cautioned against ‘acts of provocation’.
Mr Hague called the act ‘outrageous’ and said it underlined the need for Bashar Assad’s regime to go
Turkey calls Nato meeting on warplane downed by Syria
Syria said it engaged the aircraft in its airspace “according to the laws that govern such situations”
24 June 2012 Last updated at 19:56
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18568207
Turkey has called a meeting of Nato member states to discuss its response to the shooting down of one of its warplanes by Syrian forces on Friday.
Ankara has invoked Article 4 of Nato’s charter, under which consultations can be requested when an ally feels their security is threatened, officials say.
Earlier, Turkey’s foreign minister said the F-4 Phantom was in international airspace when it was shot down.
Syria has insisted the jet was engaged while it was inside its airspace.
It has also said no act of hostility was intended, noting that as soon as the military discovered the “unidentified” aircraft was Turkish its navy joined efforts to rescue the two crew members.
But Turkey’s Nato allies condemned Syria for the act.
“The United States condemns this brazen and unacceptable act in the strongest possible terms,” said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“It is yet another reflection of the Syrian authorities’ callous disregard for international norms, human life, and peace and security”.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Syrian military’s actions were “outrageous” and underlined “how far beyond accepted behaviour the Syrian regime has put itself”.
Protest note
The Turkish foreign ministry said it knew the coordinates of the jet, which was in Syrian territorial waters at a depth of 1,300m (4,265ft), but has not yet found it.
The coast guard is still searching for the crew in the Mediterranean Sea, though hopes are fading of them being found alive.
The government has also issued a diplomatic protest note to Syria.
Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the North Atlantic Council, the principal political decision-making body within the military alliance, would meet in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the incident.
“Turkey has requested consultations under Article 4 of Nato’s founding Washington Treaty,” she told Reuters.
“Under article 4, any ally can request consultations whenever, in the opinion of any of them, their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.”
Turkey wants to be sure of the strongest backing once it decides its official response, reports the BBC’s Jonathan Head in Istanbul.
The government has promised that it will be strong, decisive and legitimate, and that it will share all the information it has with the public.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu became the first senior Turkish official to challenge Syria’s account of the downing of the jet.
After lengthy meetings with military chiefs, he told TRT state television that the unarmed jet had “momentarily” entered Syrian airspace by mistake on Friday but had left when it was shot down 15 minutes later.
“According to our conclusions, our plane was shot down in international airspace, 13 nautical miles (24km) from Syria,” he said.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the aircraft was unarmed, and on a routine training mission
According to international law, a country’s airspace extends 12 nautical miles (22.2km) from its coastline, corresponding with its territorial waters.
Mr Davutoglu also insisted that the jet had not been on a “covert mission related to Syria” but had instead been carrying out a training flight to test Turkey’s radar capabilities.
He said the plane had not “shown any hostility”, been clearly marked as Turkish, and that he did not agree with the Syrian military’s statement that it had not known to whom it belonged.
‘Unidentified target’
The Turkish military said it lost radio contact with the F-4 Phantom at 11:58 (08:58 GMT) on Friday while it was flying over Hatay province, about 90 minutes after it took off from Erhac airbase in the province of Malatya, to the north-west.
Later, the Syrian military said an “unidentified air target” had penetrated Syrian airspace from the west at 11:40 local time (08:40 GMT), travelling at very low altitude and at high speed.
It said that in line with the laws prevailing in such cases, Syrian air defences engaged the craft, and scored a direct hit about 1km (0.5 nautical miles) from its coastline.
It burst into flames, and crashed into the sea at a point 10km (5 nautical miles) from the village of Om al-Tuyour, off the coast of Latakia province, well within Syrian territorial waters, the statement added.
Relations between Nato-member Turkey and Syria, once close allies, have deteriorated sharply since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. More than 30,000 Syrian refugees have fled the violence across the border into Turkey.
1. F-4 Phantom takes off from Erhac airbase, Turkey, at approximately 10:28 local time (07:28 GMT), on 22 June
2. Syria says the jet enters its airspace at 11:40 (08:40 GMT)
3. Turkish military loses contact with the plane at 11:58 (08:58 GMT), while it is over Hatay province
4. Syria says its air defences engaged aircraft about 1km (0.5 nautical miles) from the coast and that it crashed into the sea 10km (5 nautical miles) west of Om al-Tuyour. Turkey says the plane was 24km (13 nautical miles) from Syria, which under international law is considered international airspace
Syria shot at second Turkish jet, Ankara claims
Turkey raises stakes over the downing of military jet claiming Syria also shot at one of its search and rescue planes
Julian Borger, Martin Chulov in Beirut and Miriam Elder in Moscow
The Guardian, Tuesday 26 June 2012
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/25/syria-shooting-second-turkish-plane-claim
Turkey has sharply raised the stakes in a military standoff with Syria, claiming one of its search and rescue planes was shot at as it tried to find a Turkish jet shot down on Friday by Syrian gunners.
Bülent Arınç, the deputy prime minister, said the rescue plane had been attacked as it flew over the Mediterranean searching for two pilots. The claim undermines Damascus’s insistence that the first jet was attacked due to mistaken identity.
Nato is to hold consultations in Brussels on Tuesday morning over the incident, but the meeting will not lead to any form of military response, according to diplomats.
The downing of the Turkish military plane over what Ankara says were international waters was denounced by European Union foreign ministers. They called for full Syrian co-operation with an investigation and imposed a new round of sanctions on Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“The EU condemns the unacceptable shooting down by Syria of a Turkish military plane on 22 June. It offers its sympathies to the families of the airmen involved and commends Turkey’s measured and responsible initial reaction,” they said.
Turkey has called a meeting on Tuesday of the National Atlantic Council, Nato’s political steering body made up of ambassadors from member states, under article four of the North Atlantic treaty, which allows any member to consult its allies whenever it believes “the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened”.
Turkey had said on Monday that it would push Nato to consider Syria’s downing of the jet as an attack on the whole military alliance.
Despite deep frustration among many Nato countries over the conflict in Syria – where the opposition says Assad’s crackdown on an increasingly armed popular uprising has killed 14,000 people – it is unlikely the military alliance will take armed action.
Arınç said Turkey retained its right to retaliate against what he called a hostile act, but said: “We have no intention of going at war with anyone.”
He added: “We will of course use all rights granted under international law … until the end [which] also includes retaliation many-fold. This includes all sanctions that can be applied to the aggressor state under international law.”
Syria tried to defuse tensions with its northern neighbour, claiming the Turkish air force F-4 Phantom had been flying at low altitude on a route previously been used by Israeli warplanes.
A Syrian foreign ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi, said the Turkish jet had been hit by anti-aircraft gun and was in Syrian airspace. Turkish officials claimed it had been struck by a more sophisticated anti-aircraft missile and that the Syrian military had not issued a warning.
Ankara acknowledged that the jet had flown over Syria for a short time, but said such temporary overflights were common and had not led to an attack before.
Tensions remain high on the Turkish-Syrian border, where 33 loyalist officers and soldiers, among them a brigadier general, crossed out of Syria with their families on Sunday night.
Defections from the regime’s forces to the Free Syria Army have been constant for the past few months, but Damascus maintains control of many key divisions and is not known to have lost any members of its most elite units or inner sanctum.
Defecting officers are received with formality at Turkish military bases near the border and given more freedom to move around the country than fleeing soldiers, most of whom are taken to nearby refugee camps.
Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said: “The downing of a plane by one of Turkey’s neighbours is unprecedented. Turkey is going to Nato and the UN security council to appease Turkey domestic opinion.
“On the bilateral level, it has no tools left. All the Syrian diplomats have been expelled and Turkey has no representation in Damascus any more. Its only option is to seek support from Turkey’s partners in the multilateral arena.
“Statements of solidarity from western capitals will help Turkey fulfil two objectives: they will assuage domestic public opinion and Turkey can also use the incident as proof that the situation vis-a-vis Syria will remain volatile and unsustainable as long as Assad is there.”
Meanwhile, a Russian ship carrying attack helicopters that was last week prevented from sailing to Syria has now been refitted with a Russian flag, rousing suspicions it is being prepared for a second attempt.
The MV Alaed, carrying air defence systems and helicopters, was forced to return to port after its British insurers withdrew cover as the ship rounded Scotland.
The Foreign Office and Treasury had warned the insurance company, Standard Club, that they could be in breach of sanctions against the Assad regime if they allowed the ship to pass.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, David Cameron welcomed an insurance ban on all EU ships carrying arms to Syria. The prime minister said the EU ban was the result of UK actions.
The MV Alaed, sailing under the Curacao flag, returned to Murmansk on Sunday. Owner Femco said it was “awaiting further instructions”.
Last week, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, admitted the Alaed was carrying supplies for Syria. “The ship was carrying air defence systems, which can be used only for repelling foreign aggression and not against peaceful demonstrators, and it was carrying three repaired helicopters,” Lavrov told Ekho Moskvy radio.
Russia has repeatedly brushed off criticism of its continuing support for Assad, insisting it was merely fulfilling long agreed contracts in delivering supplies to Syria.
An unidentified “military-diplomatic source” told the Interfax news agency on Sunday that the Alaed would soon travel from Murmansk to Syria in a second attempt to deliver the shipment.
“The ship will travel under escort to avoid any sort of provocation,” the source said. The escort ship would not be a navy ship, the source added.
Meanwhile, Femco said the ship’s final destination was the far eastern port of Vladivostok and it would sail under the Russian flag “in order to protect its interests, the security of the ship and the protection of its crew, all of whom are citizens of Russia”. Analysts say the flag change could cause an international incident if any attempts are made to board it. Local reports said the Russian flag was raised over the ship on Monday.
“We don’t plan on justifying ourselves, because we haven’t violated anything – not international law, not a UN security council resolution, not our own national laws on export controls, which are some of the strictest in the world,” Lavrov said last week.
Syria is Russia’s main remaining ally in the Middle East, a key weapons client and host to its base at Tartus, Russia’s only military base outside the former Soviet Union.
Turkish PM warns Syria against military movements along border
Turkey says the rules of engagement along the border with Syria have changed, following the downing of a Turkish military jet.
10:22PM BST 26 Jun 2012
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/9358030/Turkish-PM-warns-Syria-against-military-movements-along-border.html
Turkey will treat any Syrian military units which approach its border as a threat and a military target, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
The army’s rules of engagement along the two countries’ border had now changed, he said.
“Every military element approaching Turkey from the Syrian border and representing a security risk and danger will be assessed as a military threat and will be treated as a military target,” Mr Erdogan said in a speech to his ruling AK Party deputies in parliament.
He also warned Syria against any further military moves.
“We are warning the Syrian regime not to make the mistake of testing our determination and the capacity of Turkey,” Mr Erdogan said.
Turkey has demanded backing from its Nato allies over the shooting down of one of its planes and has called a meeting in Brussels under Article 4 of the alliance’s charter, which provides for consultations when a member state feels its territorial integrity or security is under threat.
Turkey has rejected assertions from Damascus that its forces had no option but to fire on the F-4 jet as it flew over Syrian waters close to the coast on Friday and has branded the shooting an “act of aggression”. It says the aircraft was an unarmed reconnaissance plane flying over international waters.
Turkey sends anti-aircraft guns to Syrian border
Syrian TV said the explosions in Damascus were caused by “sticky bombs”
28 June 2012 Last updated at 14:00
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18622140
Turkey has begun deploying rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns along its border with Syria after last week’s downing of a Turkish military plane.
Columns of military vehicles have been seen moving from military bases to the border, close to where the jet crashed.
The Phantom went down in the sea after being hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft fire. The two pilots are missing.
Meanwhile, three people have been hurt in explosions outside a court complex in central Damascus, Syrian TV reports.
A thick plume of smoke could be seen and state TV broadcast pictures of burning cars after what it called a “terrorist explosion” in the car park of the palace of justice.
There are also reports of clashes in three suburbs of Damascus, where activists say 22 people have been killed.
The scale of casualties cannot be verified independently as Syria severely restricts journalists’ freedom of movement.
‘Clear and present threat’
Turkey’s decision to reinforce its border with Syria comes two days after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a change in terms of its military engagement.
He told parliament that Syria was a “clear and present threat” and any “military element” that approached the Turkish border from Syria would be treated as a threat and a military target.
Syria said the Turkish F-4 Phantom plane was brought down in Syrian waters by anti-aircraft fire with a maximum range of 2.5km.
But Ankara says it was hit in international waters by a heat-seeking or laser-guided missile.
The deployment comes nearly a week after the Syrians shot down a Turkish military plane
Extra troops have been sent to the border area and Turkish TV has shown pictures of a small convoy of lorries carrying anti-aircraft guns into a military base near the border town of Yayladagi.
Other military vehicles have travelled to the border town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, reports say.
More than 33,000 refugees have fled Syria and have crossed the border into the province.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul is due to discuss the heightened tensions with Syria at a National Security Council meeting on Thursday.
Unity government
Russia has backed a proposal for a national unity government to take charge of political change in Syria but it has refused to endorse the removal of President Assad from power.
According to Western diplomats, UN envoy Kofi Annan’s unity plan proposes a cabinet including members of the opposition and government and bars anyone who would undermine its credibility.
The idea will be discussed at a Geneva conference on Saturday involving the UN Action Group on Syria.
President Assad’s role is not spelled out in the Annan proposal but Western diplomats say he would not be part of any unity government.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that “we do not and cannot support any intervention or solutions dictated from abroad”. He added that President Assad’s future had to be decided through a “Syrian dialogue by the Syrian people themselves”.
President Assad has described Syria as being in a “real state of war” and the UN’s deputy envoy to Syria said on Wednesday that the violence “had reached or even surpassed” the levels seen in April when Mr Annan’s ceasefire plan was agreed.
The UN says at least 10,000 people have been killed since pro-democracy protests began in March 2011. In June, the Syrian government reported that 6,947 Syrians had died, including at least 3,211 civilians and 2,566 security forces personnel.
Turkey rotates stringer missiles towards Syria: report
English.news.cn 2012-06-29 21:58:44
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-06/29/c_131685302.htm
ISTANBUL, June 29 (Xinhua) — Turkey on Friday rotated its stringer missiles in the Oncupinar Border Post towards Syrian soils, as it continued its military deployment along the border with the unrest-ridden country, local Dogan news agency reported.
Turkish commanders of the Adana 6th Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the Gaziantep 5th Armored Brigade visited the region Thursday and inspected the deployed artilleries and missiles, said Dogan.
Also, the country’s Chief of Army, General Hayri Kivrikoglu, has arrived in the southeastern town of Siirt to inspect the 3rd Brigade Command Post.
However, Turkey’s military deployment irritated the people living in border town of Kilis, who said they are afraid of going to their fields and they rejected the potential war, according to local media.
Turkey started deploying rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns along its border with Syria after its fighter jet was allegedly shot down by Syria last week.
Damascus has described its shooting down of the Turkish F-4 jet as an act of self-defense.
Turkish television showed that a convoy of about 30 military vehicles, including trucks loaded with missile batteries, arrived in the country’s coastal town of Iskenderun and was deployed near the Syrian border on Wednesday.
The convoy was escorted by police cars, anti-aircraft artillery and military ambulances. Other military vehicles also moved to the border town of Reyhanli in Hatay province.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul is due to discuss the soaring tension with Syria at a National Security Council meeting on Thursday.
Turkey scrambles F-16 jets on Syria border
F-16 jets from Incirlik airbase were sent to the border on Saturday, the army said
1 July 2012 Last updated at 16:09
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18666165
Turkey has scrambled six F-16 fighters jets near its border with Syria after Syrian helicopters came close to the border, the country’s army says.
Six jets were sent to the area in response to three such incidents on Saturday, the statement said, adding that there was no violation of Turkish airspace.
Last month, Syrian forces shot down a Turkish jet in the border area.
The incident further strained already tense relations between former allies.
Turkey’s government has been outspoken in its condemnation of Syria’s response to the 16-month anti-government uprising, which has seen more than 30,000 Syrian refugees enter Turkey.
On Friday, Turkey said it had begun deploying rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns along the border in response to the downing of its F-4 Phantom jet on 22 June.
The move came after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Turkey had changed its rules of military engagement and would now treat any Syrian military approaching the border as a threat.
Syria said the Turkish F-4 was shot down by air defence fire inside its airspace. Turkey insists it was downed by a missile after briefly entering and the leaving Syrian airspace.
The plane crashed in the Mediterranean, off the coast of the southern province of Hatay. Its pilots are still missing.
Nato support
Mr Erdogan spoke of Turkey’s “rage” at the incident and described Syria as a “clear and present threat”.
Nato condemned the attack and voiced strong support for Turkey, after Ankara invoked Article 4 of Nato’s founding treaty, which entitles any member state to ask for consultations if it believes its security is threatened.
Four of the six jets were scrambled on Saturday from the airbase of Incirlik in response to two occasions of Syrian helicopters flying close to Hatay province, Sunday’s army statement said.
Later, two more F-16s took off from a base near Batman, in southeastern Turkey, after Syrian helicopters were spotted close to the province of Mardin, it added.
The military said the helicopters flew as close as 6.5km (4 miles) to the border, according to the AP news agency.
Syria can do what it wants in it’s own border right up to the border line and Turkey cannot do a damn thing Lawfully or legally about it. Notice how they are trying to condition you that Syria may have shot down the Turkish jet near the border and outside their jurisdiction? This is because Erdogan will strike Syria within the Syrian boarder shortly.
Erdogan like Hillary Clinton is up the arse of Emperor Juan Carlos of the New unHoly Roman Empire and who’s the Protector of the Holy Sites of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem commanding the Middle East and North Africa. Carlos will demand shortly a regional war since John McCain and Hillary Clinton have failed in completing his original wishes. Assad and Putin have been far too smart for the dementia ridden treasonous John McCain lunatic and Crown terrorist Hillary Clinton the wicked third-degree witch of North America. You thought Knight of Eulogia, George W. Bush was a warmongering lunatic? You haven’t met the Vatican puppet, Senator John McCain yet have you?
The Temporal Power wishes to destroy Iran’s threat to this Temporal Power as only the Holy See can be the leader of the World. The idea of having a go at Syria is to be able to drag Iran into the battle through their mutual security pact. This makes it easier to start a war with Iran than outright pre-emptive attacks yourself. Too many of the World’s populace are on to these swines now since Iraq and the WMD lies so they try to be a bit more low-key. The attempts by the American-Turkish Council to plant WMDs in Iraq failed miserably thanks to certain intelligence operatives who lost their life in the battle that took place.
The real terrorist of 9/11 along with others was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (first truth) and its this very terrorist who’s doing all this death squad killings in Syria and blaming it on Assad and the sovereign Government of the nation. Do not be fooled like you were with Iraq and Libya, its time to see through the propaganda and imperialism. The New World Order and the City of London Corporation must be stopped immediately or else the World’s populace will forever suffer.
-= The Unhived Mind
Below could be true due to massive oil reserves based on below articles on last year oil mining right dispute among Israel, Turkey, Cyprus:
http://www.euronews.com/2011/09/07/turkey-and-israel-can-tumble-into-conflict-over-syprus/
http://presscore.ca/2011/?p=6641
US government financed mercenaries from Xe Services LL, formerly known as Blackwater, and Academi have been captured by Syrian forces in Syria. As many as 700 foreign mercenaries of Arab and Western descent along with Israeli, US and European-made weapons were seized in the Homs neighborhood of Baba Amro. Why are US mercenaries in Syria? Same reason why the US illegally attacked Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya and the Torah forbidden state of Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian and attacked Lebanon – oil and gas.
European journalists are now in Syria and they see a totally different story that is portrayed by the anti-sovereignty United Nations and the US government. The picture painted by the US media does not match the reality. They are confirming “cross-border terrorism” from Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon into Syria. They have uncovered evidence of the US government government involvement in the Syrian uprising. US paid mercenaries are the ones killing innocent civilians. Merceneries frm Xe Services LL. Syrian government forces are battling US and foreign mercenaries in Syria. US merceneries have illegally infiltrated Syria to start an uprising.
On March 2nd, 2007 retired general of the United States Army Wesley Clark revealed that the US government had planned just 10 days after 9/11 to attack seven countries in five years, “starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran”. As George W Bush is quoted as saying “Mission Accomplished” for Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia and Libya. Only 2 more to go – Syria and Iran. Obama illegally attacked Libya (didn’t seek nor get Congressional authorization for use of force or a declaration of war). Because an election is coming in the fall Obama chose again to defy Congress and blatantly violate the US Constitution and his oath of office by secretly waging an illegal war against Syria using foreign mercenaries.
While NATO and Washington condemn the Assad government, Syrian civilians from across Syria tell chilling stories of atrocities committed by foreign fighters, who kidnap and kill anyone at will. Xe mercenaries are blocking the Red Cross and Red Crescent ambulances from entering the battle stricken towns for fear that they will leak to the outside World what is really going on. Xe doesn’t want the Red Cross to witness foreign fighters fighting against Syrian government forces nor do they want the Red Cross to treat its own wounded mercenaries because a dead mercenaries can’t talk, but more importantly, can’t collect what is owed.
On June 21, 2012 the Vice-President of the Turkish Labor Party, Bulent Aslanoglu, told the United Nations that he had evidence that about six thousand foreigners of different Arab, Afghan and Turkish nationalities, have been recruited by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to commit terrorist acts in Syria.
Russia and China have both vetoed every UN Resolution put forward by the United States to use military force against Syria. Both Russia and China know that the uprising in Syria was orchestrated by the United States using CIA mercenaries. Russia and China know that the United States was involved and the United States was fabricating evidence against Syria in order to get a UN Resolution to use military force against Syria. Now that use of force is unauthorized by 2 permanent members of the UN Security Council the US is now working with the UNations to overthrow Assad using another UNdiplomatic coup. The US has brought in the butcher of Baghdad, Kofi Annan, to oversee the overthrow. Kofi Annan oversaw the “Oil for Food” genocide scheme in Iraq wherein 3 million Iraq children were murdered by Annan when he denied them any essential humanitarian aid, including medicine and food.
An internal investigation found Annan guilty of corruption in prewar Iraq’s oil-for-food program and delivered a scathing rebuke of the former Secretary General Kofi Annan’s management of the largest U.N. humanitarian aid operation and concluded that Annan took advantage of his position to profit from the system. Kofi Annan secretly had steered lucrative Iraqi oil contracts to a Swiss company, Cotecna, where his son worked.
10 years ago the US openly attacked Iraq to overthrow its government and take control of its oil. Today, the US is secretly attacking Syria to overthrow its government and take control of its huge untapped oil and gas reserves. In late 2010 huge natural gas deposits off Israel’s Mediterranean shores were discovered. The initial results revealed that the “entire” eastern Mediterranean is swimming in huge untapped oil and gas reserves.
Two years ago, in June 2010, the Leviathan, the largest gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean was discovered by Houston Texas based Noble Energy. The natural gas reserves in that find that are in Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian territorial waters are estimated to be something in the range of 25 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). Some experts are estimating that there might also be up to 600 million barrels of oil. And that is not all. Preliminary exploration has confirmed similarly impressive reserves of gas and oil in the waters off Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Syria.
That discovery is now causing enormous political, geopolitical as well as economic consequences. It the whole reason why Israel also has mercenaries and Mossad killing squads in Syria.
Top Syrian general ‘defects to Turkey’
Reported escape of Manaf Tlass, leading member of Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle, does not mean anything, official says
Julian Borger, and Martin Chulov in Idlib province
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 July 2012 19.39 BST
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/05/top-syrian-general-defects-turkey
A Syrian general who was a leading member of Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle, Manaf Tlass, has defected to Turkey, according to a Damascus-based website with close links to the regime.
Tlass is a member of the most powerful Sunni family in Syria, and the son of a long-serving former defence minister, Mustafa Tlass, but he was reported to have fallen out of favour in recent months for refusing to take part in attacks on civilian areas regarded as opposition strongholds.
Tlass’s defection was reported by Syriasteps, a news website linked to the country’s security apparatus. It said that “a highly placed source in intelligence has confirmed that General Manaf Mustafa Tlass has fled to Turkey”, and quoted a security official as saying: “His escape does not mean anything.”
The defection of such a high-profile figure from a family at the heart of the regime would be a damaging blow to Assad and could provoke more defections, especially among more junior Sunni officers and rank-and-file soldiers. That would serve to weaken the security apparatus, but at the same time sharpen the sectarian nature of the conflict between the Sunni majority and the Alawite minority, from which the ruling family and the military elite are drawn.
A Turkish government official confirmed that two Syrian generals had defected in the past three days, but did not provide names “for their and their families’ security”.
One of the two generals the official referred to is from an engineering division. The second is believed to be Tlass, who is a general in the Republican Guard.
Rami Abdul-Rahman, the head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said: “Several sources inside Syria, including Alawite sources close to the regime, have confirmed to me that Manaf Tlass has left the country.”
Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, wrote on his Syria Comment blog that Tlass’s “Honda had supposedly turned up in the Rukn ad-Din neighbourhood of Damascus, but he was nowhere to be found”.
“Manaf Tlass’s father and brother, Firas, who is a leading businessman, are believed to be out of the country. The father had gone to Paris on the pretext of getting medical attention. Firas is said to be in Dubai. It is not clear where the women and children of his family are,” Landis wrote.
The steady stream of defections are just one sign of the Assad regime’s gradually eroding power. A senior British diplomat said it was also losing its grip on territory.
“What is clear is that the regime has lost control of parts of the country, particularly in the east. It’s also clear that parts of Damascus have got more difficult for the regime, but we don’t have a precise map … but I’m not sure it’s true that the opposition are in full control themselves in a coherent way,” the diplomat said.
Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said on Thursday he had “solid information and intelligence that members of al-Qaida’s terrorist network” have gone to Syria”. He added: “Our main concern, to be honest with you, is about the spillover about extremist, terrorist groups taking root in neighbouring countries.”
Rebel fighters in Idlib province denied that foreign fighters were a significant factor in the conflict.
“I swear to God that I have not seen one strange Arab here and I’ve been fighting for more than a year,” said Anis Azir, a Free Syrian Army leader in Qurqaniya village. A second guerilla leader, Abu Mahmoud from nearby Athma village, said: “They would not be welcome even if they did come. We know what they represent.”
A third rebel leader in Darat Azzah, near Aleppo, was more circumspect. Abu Ahmed, as he preferred to call himself, paused for almost a minute before answering whether al-Qaida would be accepted in his town. “They haven’t tried. But we would welcome their weapons.”
The senior British diplomat described the role of foreign jihadists as minor but warned that their influence would grow if the international community did not take concerted action against the regime. Russia and China have so far blocked any punitive measures being imposed by the UN security council.
“Our assessment is that the vast majority of people fighting on the opposition side are still Syrians and most are trying to defend their neighbourhoods under intense military pressure,” the diplomat said. “But it’s clear that there are some other elements getting into this conflict and what we have consistently said to Russia, China and others is that what they say they want to avoid – a descent into an increasingly sectarian conflict with other players, a breakdown of Syrian society with regional ramifications – the chance of all of that happening increases with every day the conflict continues in its current form.”
Hillary Clinton, William Hague and foreign ministers from other western and Arab states are taking part in a “friends of Syria” meeting on Friday to discuss further ways of exerting pressure on Damascus. Gulf states will be asked to impose more sanctions, and western capitals may table a new security council resolution calling for a UN-sponsored peace plan to be backed by global sanctions if Syria does not comply. Western diplomats concede Moscow is likely to veto such a move.
Russian specialists involved in Syria intercepting Turkish jet, sources say
Diplomatic sources talking to the Sunday Times say Syria shot down the Turkish plane to warn NATO not to intervene in the Syrian conflict.
By Haaretz, Reuters and The Associated Press | Jul.01, 2012
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/russian-specialists-involved-in-syria-intercepting-turkish-jet-sources-say-1.447981?localLinksEnabled=false
Russian technicians were involved in the taking down of the Turkish fighter jet by the Syrian military last week, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday.
Sourcing Middle Eastern diplomatic sources the Times reported that the decision to down the Turkish jet was intended to signal a warning to NATO to stay out of the conflict raging in Syria for over a year.
Russia supplied Syria with advanced anti-aircraft missile systems three years ago. It is believed that Russian specialists trained the Syrian forces to use them. According to diplomats that spoke with the Sunday Times some Russian specialists are still stationed at the missile battery control centers.
“We would not be surprised if these Russian experts, if they didn’t push the button, at least were beside the Syrian officers who did it,” an Israeli air force source told the British paper.
The unarmed reconnaissance jet had briefly entered Syrian airspace on June 22 as it approached land after patrolling the eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said, but was warned by Turkish radar controllers and immediately left and turned again out to sea.
It then made another approach to land when it was shot down 13 miles off the coast in international airspace, he said, out of the reach of Syria’s anti-aircraft guns.
“According to the data in our hands, it points to our plane being shot by a laser or heat-guided surface-to-air missile. The fact our plane was not given an early radar warning, suggests it was not a radar-guided missile,” said Arinc.
Turkey shelters the rebel Free Syria Army (FSA) and hosts 32,000 Syrian refugees on its southeastern border with Syria, some 50 km (30 miles) from where the Turkish aircraft was shot down. But it denies providing arms for the insurgents.
Ankara requested a meeting of NATO’s North Atlantic Council to discuss the incident, which it has branded an “act of aggression”. Damascus said it shot the aircraft down in self-defense after it strayed into Syrian airspace.
The meeting is only the second time in NATO’s 63-year history that member countries have convened under Article 4 of its charter, which provides for consultations when a member state feels its territorial integrity, political independence or security is under threat.
“We may get a statement of solidarity with Turkey,” a NATO official said.
Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen was to make a statement around 11:30 a.m. (09:30 GMT) after the talks among NATO ambassadors at alliance headquarters in Brussels.
Analysts said Rasmussen’s message was likely to be measured, reflecting Western reluctance to commit to any military action or anything that could trigger a regional sectarian war.
“There is very little appetite from the alliance to undertake what we call a discretionary war,” said Clara Marina O’Donnell, a fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
Turkey’s choice to seek consultation under Article 4, instead of asking for military help under the organization’s collective defence provisions, known as Article 5, suggested Ankara was hoping to steer clear of inflaming the conflict.
“This is a signal from Turkey that they are not too keen to go down the military route at this stage. They are trying to de-escalate the situation,” she said.
Turkey rejected assertions from Damascus that its forces had no option but to fire on the F-4 jet as it flew over Syrian waters close to the coast on Friday.
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Turkey condemned a “hostile act by the Syrian authorities against Turkey’s national security”, saying it posed “a serious threat to peace and security in the region”.
Syria warned Turkey and NATO against retaliation. EU foreign ministers on Monday urged Turkey to show restraint, saying they would increase pressure on Assad.
Al-Assad has a secret weapon if Turkey attacks. That is the kurds.
According to Webster Griffin Tarpley, al-Assad has kurds on both sides of the border ready to be unleashed if the turks try anything.
This would easily cause a regional war that could spill over to the very unstable Iraq. However Iran are probably not too fond of this strategy from al-Assad.