The navigator of the Russian Su-24 shot down by a Turkish fighter jet on Tuesday insists that his plane did not cross into Turkey’s airspace, and says he was given no visual or radio warning before being fired at.
“It’s impossible that we violated their airspace even for a second,” Konstantin Murakhtin told RT and other Russian media. “We were flying at an altitude of 6,000 meters in completely clear weather, and I had total control of our flight path throughout.”
As well as denying Ankara’s assertions that the plane was in Turkey’s airspace, Murakhtin, who says he knows the mission area "like the back of my hand," also refuted Turkish officials’ claims that the pilots were warned repeatedly.
“In actual fact, there were no warnings at all. Neither through the radio, nor visually, so we did not at any point adjust our course. You need to understand the difference in speed between a tactical bomber like a Su-24, and that of the F16. If they wanted to warn us, they could have sat on our wing,” said Murakhtin, who is currently recuperating at Russia’s airbase in Latakia, northern Syria.
“As it was, the missile hit the back of our plane out of nowhere. We didn’t even have time to make an evasive maneuver.
As the plane was hit and went down in Syria, the two pilots ejected. Captain Sergey Rumyantsev was killed, with a rebel Turkmen brigade claiming they shot him to death while he was still parachuting.
Murakhtin was extracted in a 12-hour joint operation by Russian and Syrian special forces, in which a Russian marine died.
Russia's Sergey Lavrov is not one foreign minister known to mince his words. Just earlier today, 24 hours after a Russian plane was brought down by the country whose president three years ago said "a short-term border violation can never be a pretext for an attack", had this to say: "We have serious doubts this was an unintended incident and believe this is a planned provocation" by Turkey.
But even that was tame compared to what Lavrov said to his Turkish counterparty Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier today during a phone call between the two (Lavrov who was supposed to travel to Turkey has since canceled such plans).
As Sputnik transcribes, according to a press release from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov pointed out that, "by shooting down a Russian plane on a counter-terrorist mission of the Russian Aerospace Force in Syria, and one that did not violate Turkey’s airspace, the Turkish government has in effect sided with ISIS."
It was in this context when Lavrov added that "Turkey’s actions appear premeditated, planned, and undertaken with a specific objective."
More importantly, Lavrov pointed to Turkey’s role in the propping up the terror network through the oil trade. Per the Russian statement:
"The Russian Minister reminded his counterpart about Turkey’s involvement in the ISIS’ illegal trade in oil, which is transported via the area where the Russian plane was shot down, and about the terrorist infrastructure, arms and munitions depots and control centers that are also located there."
Others reaffirmed Lavrov's stance, such as retired French General Dominique Trinquand, who said that "Turkey is either not fighting ISIL at all or very little, and does not interfere with different types of smuggling that takes place on its border, be it oil, phosphate, cotton or people," he said.
The reason we find this line of questioning fascinating is that just last week in the aftermath of the French terror attack but long before the Turkish downing of the Russian jet, we wrote about "The Most Important Question About ISIS That Nobody Is Asking" in which we asked who is the one "breaching every known law of funding terrorism when buying ISIS crude, almost certainly with the tacit approval by various "western alliance" governments, and why is it that these governments have allowed said middleman to continue funding ISIS for as long as it has?"
And while we patiently dig to find who the on and offshore "commodity trading" middleman are, who cart away ISIS oil to European and other international markets in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars, one name keeps popping up as the primary culprit of regional demand for the Islamic State's "terrorist oil" - that of Turkish president Recep Erdo?an's son: Bilal Erdo?an.
Turkey’s decision to shoot down a Russian bomber involved in an anti-terror mission against the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group means that Ankara has effectively sided with IS.
Heading off any denial of this fact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Turkey’s role in the terrorist group’s illegal oil trade.
Discussing the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had harsh words for his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu.
According to a press release from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov pointed out that, "by shooting down a Russian plane on a counter-terrorist mission of the Russian Aerospace Force in Syria, and one that did not violate Turkey’s airspace, the Turkish government has in effect sided with ISIS."
"…Turkey’s actions appear premeditated, planned, and undertaken with a specific objective."
Lavrov also pointed to Turkey’s role in the propping up the terror network through the oil trade.
"The Russian Minister reminded his counterpart about Turkey’s involvement in the ISIS’ illegal trade in oil, which is transported via the area where the Russian plane was shot down, and about the terrorist infrastructure, arms and munitions depots and control centers that are also located there," the statement read.
"Sergei Lavrov specifically said that this act by Turkey will have serious consequences for Russian-Turkish relations and will not go unanswered."
Retired French General Dominique Trinquand made similar statements when speaking to Sputnik earlier on Wednesday.
"[Turkey is either not fighting ISIL at all or very little, and does not interfere with different types of smuggling that takes place on its border, be it oil, phosphate, cotton or people," he said.
Power Belongs to God
ReplyDeleteKnowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? ... Thou couldest have no
power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. – John 19:10-11
Authority is one of the intrusted talents. Men talk very boastfully of their power, forgetting that it is delegated power
which they hold, and that they must wield it for God, and must give account to Him for their use of it. No man’s power
belongs to himself to do with as he pleased; it is given him from God, the source of all power. This is true of the authority
of parents and teachers, of the power possessed by civil magistrates, and of all power whatsoever.
Men are eager to obtain offices in the city or nation; and they do not always realize the responsibility which attaches to such
positions. Power belongs to God, and must be used for God, or its misuse will bring sore penalty. It is a talent which is given
to us to be accounted for, and no treason is worse than malfeasance in the employing of power. This is true all the way from
the power of the child on the playground to the power of the president of the nation or the king on his throne. “Thou couldest
have no power ... except it were given thee from above.”
There is a comforting thought suggested by the words in this sentence, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me.” Christ
in this world was under the protection of His Father, and no one on earth could lift a finger against Him but by the Divine permission.
What was true of Him, the Son of God, is true of each one of the sons of God in all their earthly life. Each believer, the humblest, the
weakest, is kept in this world as the apple of God’s eye. No one can touch one of God’s little ones save by Divine permission. This
shows how safe we are, amid all the world’s dangers and enmities, while we trust ourselves in our Father’s keeping.
True words and SO timely in today's world. World leaders rarely take heed to these words at their own demise ultimately
ReplyDeleteUhuhm.....understand Russia has:
ReplyDelete1. Placed tighter restrictions on food imported from Turkey
2. Begun consideration the backing of an Armenia independent from Turkey. An homeland for the Kurds carved out of land now part of Turkey.
3. Upgraded the antiaircraft missile system to be guarding Syria from the S-300 to the S-400 (which has a reach well into Turkey)
Let the Payback Games begin.
Thanks GG!!! Those words are such a comfort. Read Ps 100 and Ps 23 this morning....and added to your post, what a comforting way to go about the day.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless all here today, on this official day of Thanksgiving in the US.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Have lots of love, laughs, big hugs, prayer, praise and food.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless!!
GG