PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Turkish F16 shoots down unidentified aircraft in their airspace.
Old 24th Nov 2015, 17:45
  #88 (permalink)  
silvertate
 
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Turkish actions inexcusable

Turkey responsible for the problem in the first place? Perhaps you missed the bit where Russia compromised Turkeyish airspace.
The Russian jet was quite obviously circling a target well to the south of the Turkish border. In doing so, it inadvertently passed through a small pimple of Turkish airspace. (See the map, a couple of pages back.) And the Russian crew did not hear the Turkish warnings, which were either spoken in Turkish or terrible English (not met a Turkish military pilot yet, who spoke clear English.)

Quite clearly, the Russian jet was not a threat to Turkey or the Turkish F-16. What did they think it would do - suddenly turn right and bomb Antakya? Frankly, this act is such a violation of common sense and logic, that Turkey deserves whatever it gets from this - which will probably involve an unavoidable break in gas supplies from Russia during January, due to 'technical problems'.

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As to Turkey being 'strategic', just who are the real allies of Turkey? Who will come to their aid, if they are in trouble?? The Greeks to the west dislike them. Russia to the north now dislikes them. Kurds to the east dislike them. Arabs to the south east have long regarded the Turks as inferior. Cypriots to the south dislike them. Israelies to the south dislike them. Assad in Syria has long distrusted them. Most of Europe is wary of them and distrusts them.

So why is Turkey in any way strategic? Who would come to their aid, if they got into trouble? Who would worry, if they fell on hard times?

ST
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