NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has expressed solidarity with Turkey, following a Russian fighter jet's violation of Turkish air space.
"I just met with the Foreign Minister of Turkey Feridun Sinirlioglu to discuss the recent military actions of the Russian Federation in and around Syria, including the unacceptable violations of Turkish airspace by Russian combat aircraft. I made clear that NATO remains strongly committed to Turkey's security," Stoltenberg in a statement Monday.
He also said that he would convene a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, the decision making body of NATO, to discuss the situation.
"Russia's actions are not contributing to the security and stability of the region. I call on Russia to fully respect NATO air space and to avoid escalating tensions with the alliance. I urge Russia to take the necessary steps to align its efforts with those of the international community in the fight against ISIL [Daesh]," Stoltenberg added.
The Russian jet crossed into Turkey's southern province of Hatay on Saturday and was intercepted by Turkish jets, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement Monday.
After the incident, Sinirlioglu telephoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to complain about the incident and the Russian ambassador was summoned to Turkish Foreign Ministry. Acting Undersecretary Ahmet Muhtar Gun protested “strongly" about the incursion to the ambassador and demanded it never happen again.
