Russia says Turkey’s shooting of jet was ‘planned’

[bemildred]

7. Downing of Russian jet part of Turkey's 'strange game' in Syria

While there is still debate over the exact circumstances of the downing of a Russian jet for breaching Turkish airspace, the decisive action shows how incensed Turkey is by Russia's backing of the Assad regime in Syria.

"I think Turkey definitely took a very risky move by shooting down the Russian aircraft," says Omar Lamrani, a military analyst for Stratfor, the global intelligence and advisory firm based in Austin, Tex.

But Lamrani believes "they felt that they couldn't let Russia keep pushing them around in terms of the Syrian conflict. And they had to send a message that this couldn't continue."

On Tuesday morning, Turkish warplanes shot down a Russian Su-24 jet, which crashed into a mountain in Latakia province in northwestern Syria.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/turkey-military-plane-russia-1.3332436?cmp=rss