Obama, NATO back Turkey over downed Russian planeNovember 25, 2015 - 10:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. President Barack Obama has said Turkey has a right to defend its territory and airspace, and that the incident pointed to ongoing problems with Russia's military operations in Syria, BBC News reports. Also, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg offered support for Ankara on Tuesday, November 24, after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border and rejected any suggestion that the incident happened outside of Turkey's borders, according to Reuters. Asked if there was any possibility that the plane was actually shot down inside Syria, Stoltenberg said: "The allied assessments that we have are consistent with the information we have from Turkey," he told a news conference. "We stand in solidarity with Turkey and support the territorial integrity of our NATO ally," Stoltenberg said. Turkish fighter jets shot down a warplane near the Syrian border after it violated Turkey's airspace on Tuesday. Russia's Defense Ministry said the downed jet is a Russian one, refuting the news that the plane crossed the Syrianborder into Turkish skies. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Turkey “accomplices of terrorists” and warned of “serious consequences” after a Turkish F-16 jet shot down a Russian warplane on Tuesday, the first time a Nato country and Moscow have exchanged direct fire over the crisis in Syria, the Guardian reports. The Russian president, speaking before a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Sochi, said the plane had been shot down over Syrian airspace and fell 4km inside Syria. Putin said it was “obvious” the plane posed no threat to Turkey. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. |