NATO to hold emergency meeting after Turkey downs jet

BRUSSELS

NATO will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels at 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday after a Russian warplane violating Turkish airspace was shot down, a NATO official told Anadolu Agency.

"NATO is monitoring the situation closely. We are in contact with Turkish authorities," a NATO official said.

Turkish jets shot down a warplane believed to be a Russian-type SU-24 after it violated the Turkish airspace near Turkey’s southern border with Syria, Turkish presidential sources said.

The warplane went down near Syria's northwestern Turkmen town of Bayirbucak.

Turkey's military said the downed foreign jet was given 10 warnings in five minutes before being shot down by two F-16 warplanes.

"A warplane of unknown nationality that breached Turkish airspace over Hatay’s [province] Yayladagi region at 9.20 a.m. [0720 GMT] was alerted 10 times in five minutes," Turkish General Staff said in a statement, adding that the F-16s' response was in line with rules of engagement.

The military added that Turkish planes patrolling the region encountered the warplane at 09.24 a.m. local time.

According to footage from the scene, the plane’s two pilots could be seen ejecting safely before the aircraft hit the ground in a huge of plume of smoke.