Russia to 'think twice' about entering Turkey's airspace

Russia will likely “think twice” before violating Turkish airspace again, a defense analyst has told Anadolu Agency.

Aaron Stein, an associate fellow at London-based defense and security think-tank RUSI, said condemnation by NATO was designed to deter further Russian aggression in the region.

NATO defense ministers will meet on Thursday to deal with the fallout of Russia’s military intervention in the Syrian war.

A Russian fighter jet was intercepted by Turkish warplanes after violating Turkey’s air space, Ankara revealed on Monday.

The Russian plane crossed into the southern province of Hatay on Saturday, and was met by two F-16s from the Turkish Air Force before crossing into Syrian airspace.

NATO is also expected to “strongly” condemn Russia’s incursion of Turkish airspace at the high-level ministerial meeting, according to the U.K.’s defense chief.

Michael Fallon said there were too many air forces flying over Syria and that Britain backed Turkish objections to the Russian violation.

“Let me be very clear: as members of NATO we’re absolutely with Turkey in objecting to the incursions into Turkish airspace there have been,” he said in an interview with BBC radio on Wednesday morning.

“NATO ministers will be meeting Brussels tomorrow where we’ll be condemning it in very strong terms and urging the Russians to start cooperating with the other air forces in the area.”

RUSI's Stein told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that the Turkish violation would be viewed as a NATO-wide issue:

“The statement clearly indicates that any further Russian incursion will be treated as a NATO matter and therefore be treated as an encroachment of the 27-member alliance’s airspace.

“The effect remains to be seen, but Russia will probably now think twice about violating Turkish airspace. However, I think provocations from Syrian air force assets are likely to continue.”

The Syrian regime’s harassment of Turkish jets has been routine since 2012, Stein added.

Fallon told the BBC he hoped Russia’s action would not prop up Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime "for a day longer than is necessary”.

“They’ve got influence in Syria and we think they should be using that influence to persuade Assad -- for example -- to stop bombing his own citizens, his own civilians, his own people’s children, to stop barrel bombing them, because that of course is what is inflaming ISIL [Daesh] itself,” Fallon said.