Reuters: NATO rejects Russia explanation on Turkish air space
NATO on Tuesday rejected Moscow's explanation that its warplanes violated the air space of alliance member Turkey at the weekend by mistake and said Russia was sending more ground troops to Syria and building up its naval presence.
With Russia extending its air strikes to include the ancient city of Palmyra, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he was losing patience with Russian violations of his country's air space.
"An attack on Turkey means an attack on NATO," Erdogan warned at a Brussels news conference.
Update #1: NATO Rejects Russian Explanations for Incursions Into Turkish Air Space -- WSJ
Update #2: Russian Violation of Turkish Airspace is Deliberate, NATO Chief Says -- NBC
WNU Editor: Aside from protesting .... NATO's options to respond are limited .... and I suspect that everyone knows that..
6 comments:
Well, they actually have a lot of options:
Deny overflights of Russian aircraft over Turkish soil.
Deny access to the Med by Russian warships or supply ships.
Either one of those things, even for a short time, would really put Russia in a bind.
Good point Trevor.
Okay, lets say they do as Trevor suggests. Any attempts to "deny" would result very quickly in American warplanes attempting to block this being shot down and ships attempting to enforce a blockade would be very quickly sunk.
The American/NATO side would suffer huge losses in such an endeavor. Russian losses, if any, would be only be minimal.
I fact, I clicked on the wrong thread. I meant to post this comment in the thread below. With that said I will post the question there but also here as it seems relevant. What happens when American war planes and other American planes start getting shot down by Russian planes?
Maybe I'm wrong about this but if I'm an American political leader or military planner based upon what I know or at least think I know the American military cannot realistically expect to go up against the Russian military on any level and expect to keep things interesting for the Russians much less win, there's currently no one on either side of this conflict who is remotely friendly to us or our interests, and there's no upside to acting against Russia here and there is huge downside to doing so.
In this situation, how should one proceed? I see two options. 1.)Try and find someway to assist the Russians and their allies here. There is a possibility this could help improve relations with us and them and may even help improve our relations with Iran perhaps even getting them to back off on their plans for "death to America." 2.)Completely get out of the Middle East. I'm skeptical that there is really anything we can do to help the Russians or that we can offer anything they'd desire. Nevertheless the offer to assist might help improve relations with them.
Basically option 2 seems to be the best option especially if this goes badly for Russia as it very well may. In the meantime US warplanes probably need to GET OUT OF THE SKY over Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere where Russian warplanes are operating. This would seem to be a better option than having them shot down. Failing that coordinate with the Russians with the Russians taking the lead on this.
WNU Editor,
Turkey has already refused Russian requests for military and resupply transit through Turkish airspace, and responded by flying from Sochi, into the international airspace in the Caspain Sea, and the transit across Iran and northern Iraq, with the full permission and support of both the Iranian and Iraqi Governments.
Russian Naval access to the Med from the Black Sea is governed by an International Treaty, denial would be an act of war.
All Ergodan can do is whine, complain and release another flood of Syrian Refugees on to Europe.
Turkey's entire economy is reliant on cheap supplies of Russian gas and oil, and cheap Iranian gas.
Word is that thousands of Jihadi's are all ready fleeing back into Jordan and Turkey, so Ergodan is shortly going to have his hands full, wrestling the venomous snakes he created.
This what I like about you Jay. You clarify everything in a few sentences.
Russia violated Turkish airspace a 2nd time in as many days.
It is no accident. It is gauging their opponent on the diplomatic front.
Putin is showing that Erdogan does not have the muscle needed and Obama has no clothes.
This is a far cry from 2009 and 2011/2012. Obama should blame himself.
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