Lavrov Cancels Visit to Turkey After Su-24 Downing Over Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has cancelled his visit to Turkey after a Russian Su-24 jet was downed over Syria with an air-to-air missile launched by Turkish F-16 fighter planes.

"The president clearly stated that this could not but affect Russian-Turkish relations. In this context, it was decided to cancel the meeting between Russia's and Turkey's ministers of foreign affairs, which was planned for tomorrow [November 25] in Istanbul," Sergei Lavrov told journalists.

The Foreign Ministry has also warned Russian citizens against visiting Turkey amid terrorist threats, Sergei Lavrov said. The terrorist threat in Turkey is growing, no less than in Egypt, he added.

"[We] need to underline the fact that terrorist threats are growing in Turkey," Lavrov said.

On Tuesday, the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jet carrying two people crashed on the Syrian border with Turkey. The Russian Defense Ministry said a Turkish F-16 fighter shot down the Russian Su-24 Fencer on its way to the Hmeymim airbase in Syria, and said monitoring data "definitely showed" no violation of Turkey’s airspace. Putin said the Russian jet was 0.6 miles from Turkey when it was hit by an air-to-air missile.
 [Sputnik]
24/11/15
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