"A Russian SU-34 fighter jet violated Turkish airspace yesterday
The Turkish Air Force has declared an 'orange alert' in key bases around the country, military sources have said.
Speaking to reporters at Istanbul Ataturk Airport before his departure for Chile, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the violation of Turkish airspace, which he also described as NATO airspace, was a result of Russian attempts to escalate existing tension in the region.
"Russia will have to bear the consequences if the violations continue," he said.
NATO has confirmed the airspace violation: "I call on Russia to act responsibly and to fully respect NATO airspace," Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
"Russia must take all necessary measures to ensure that such violations do not happen again," he added.
Erdogan said the Turkish Foreign Ministry had made contact with Russia to arrange a meeting with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the incident, but added that Ankara had yet to receive a response.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that their fighter jet did not violate Turkish airspace.
Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov dismissed Ankara's statement as "propaganda", arguing that Russian and Syrian air radar units did not detect any violations and that there has long been no radio contact between Turkish and Russian air forces.
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