Russia cuts all military contacts with Turkey after downing of Russian jet


All military cooperation channels with Turkey have been cut following the downing of Russia's Su-24 fighter jet, the Russian Defense Ministry announced Thursday.Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters that in accordance with a previously made decision, all cooperation channels have been cut between the Russian Defense Ministry and the Turkish Armed Forces."This concerns all ties, not just the so-called hotline that was launched in order to avoid possible air incidents during the destruction of terrorist infrastructure in Syria," Konashenkov added.On November 24, two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on an aerial patrol intercepted a Russian warplane within rules of engagement when it violated Turkish airspace near the Syrian border.The Russian warplane received 10 warnings about its violation within five minutes before it was shot down.This was not the first time Russian warplanes had violated Turkish airspace. In October, Russian warplanes violated Turkish airspace. Russian officials had apologized and pledged that such incidents would not reoccur in the future.