Lithuania backs Turkey's move to defend airspace

VILNIUS, Lithuania

Lithuania has defended Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane that breached Turkish airspace on Nov. 24.

"Turkey has the right to defend its airspace and the right to down the Russian warplane that violated its airspace," Lithuanian president’s foreign policy Chief Adviser Renaldas Vaisbrodas told Ziniu Radio on Tuesday.

Recalling that Turkey warned the Russian pilot repeatedly about breaching Turkish airspace before the aircraft was eventually shot down, Vaisbrodas said that the Russian ambassador to Ankara too had been informed prior to the incident about the potential consequences if the country's airspace continued to be violated.

"We understand Turkey's actions are aimed at protecting its airspace," the chief adviser added.

The Russian SU-24 bomber was downed by Turkey on Nov. 24 after it violated Turkish airspace above southern Hatay province along the border with Syria. A Russian pilot was killed in the incident while another was rescued by Russian forces.

Although Turkey provided radar data of its planes as evidence of Russia’s intrusion into its territory, Moscow insisted that the SU-24 had not breached the border.

NATO also corroborated last week Turkey’s evidence into the intrusion.