Wieder heißer Krisenherd: Syrisch-Türkische Grenze

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An der Grenze zwischen dem NATO-Mitgliedsland Türkei und Syrien ist am (heutigen) Dienstag ein russisches Kampfflugzeug abgeschossen worden. Dieser dürre Fakt ist bislang auch alles zu diesem höchst brisanten Zwischenfall, was nicht umstritten ist.

Aus einer Zusammenfassung (Dienstagmittag deutscher Zeit) von Reuters:

Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border on Tuesday after repeated warnings over air space violations, but Moscow said it could prove the jet had not left Syrian air space. (…)
Russia’s defence ministry said one of its Su-24 fighter jets had been downed in Syria and that, according to preliminary information, the pilots were able to eject. It said the aircraft had been over Syria for the duration of its flight.

The Turkish military said the aircraft had been warned 10 times in the space of five minutes about violating Turkish airspace.

Die Situation entwickelt sich laufend weiter. Am Nachmittag (17.00 Uhr deutscher Zeit) wollte der NATO-Rat auf Wunsch der Türkei zu einer Sondersitzung zusammenkommen, allerdings wohl nicht zur formellen Konsultationen nach dem NATO-Vertrag.

Da hier bereits die Frage aufkam, was mit den deutschen Patriot-Flugabwehrsystemen ist, die in der Türkei stationiert waren: Die haben schon gepackt. Ein Blick in die jüngste Aussage des Verteidigungsministeriums dazu:

Active Fence Turkey (AF TUR)
NATO-Einsatz in der Nähe der türkisch-syrischen Grenze
Beteiligung der Bundeswehr an der Verstärkung der integrierten Luftverteidigung der NATO auf Ersuchen der Türkei (Artikel 51 der Charta der Vereinten Nationen)
Der Stellvertreter des Befehlshabers des Einsatzführungskommandos der Bundeswehr hat am 17.11.15 den Abschlussappell des Deutschen Einsatzkontingents Active Fence Turkey in Kahramanmaras durchgeführt. Nachdem bereits am 15.10.15 der operationelle Einsatzauftrag beendet wurde, diente der Appell dazu, den deutschen Soldatinnen und Soldaten, aber auch der Gastgebernation Türkei für die Unterstützung zu danken.
Die Rückverlegung wird weiterhin planmäßig so durchgeführt, dass bis zum Ende des aktuellen Mandats am 31.01.16 die letzten deutschen Angehörigen von AF TUR das Einsatzland verlassen haben.
Deutsche Beteiligung: 252 Soldatinnen und Soldaten (Stand 16.11.15).

Mehr dann nach Entwicklung. (Wie bereits angekündigt: von meiner Seite aus Gründen mit begrenztem Engagement.)

Nachtrag: Die Darstellung des Vorfalls aus russischer Sicht – und vor allem die Konsequenzen: Unter anderem Verstärkung der seegestützten Luftverteidigung und der Einsatz von Jägern zusätzlich zu Bombern.

Speech of the Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Lt.Gen. Sergei Rudskoy on provocative actions of the Turkish Air Force

Today, at 10:24 (MSK) an F-16 fighter of the Turkish Air Force shot down Su-24M tactical bomber of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which was performing a combat sortie over the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The fighter supposedly performed the strike with IR homing headed short-range missile.

The objective monitoring data confirmed that the Turkish warplane did not make any attempt to establish a communication or visual contact with the Russian bomber.

The missile hit the Su-24M aircraft over the territory of Syria. The bomber crash place is on the territory of Syria four kilometres far from the borderline. The Su-24M crew managed to eject. According to the preliminary data, fire from the ground killed one of the pilots.

The objective monitoring data shows that the Russian aircraft did not cross the Turkish borderline.

Data received from the Syrian Air Defence Forces confirmed this fact as well.

Moreover, radar reconnaissance data, which was received from the Hmeymim airbase, registered Syrian airspace violation by the attacking aircraft of the Turkish Air Force.

This fact is assessed as a flagrant violation of international law with extremely grave consequences and the direct breach of Memorandum on air incident prevention and flight safety over the Syrian Arab Republic, which had been signed by the USA and relevant for all countries of the coalition, including Turkey.

That is why the Turkish party started urgent consultations with the NATO instead of immediate contacting with the Russian Defence Ministry.

Defence Attaché of Turkey in the Russian Federation was presented a decisive protest against the actions of the Turkish Air Force, which had led to the loss of the Russian aircraft.

It is to be mentioned that from the beginning of the operation, the Russian Defence Ministry had established a direct telephone line between the National Centre for State Defence Control of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of National Defence of Turkey. But it has no practical use due to the fault of the Turkish party.

In order to evacuate the Russian pilots from the landing point, a search-and-rescue operation was conducted by two Mi-8 helicopters. In the course of the operation, one of helicopters was damaged by small arms fire and performed an emergency landing in the neutral area. One contract serviceman – member of Marine Troops – was killed.

The personnel of the search-and-rescue team and the helicopter crew were evacuated and are now at the Hmeymim airbase. The helicopter was destroyed by mortar fire conducted from the territory controlled by illegal armed groups.

The operation on searching and rescuing the crew of the Russian bomber is continued.

It is to be emphasized that in the action area of the Russia aviation the Syrian governmental troops are conducting operation on elimination of illegal armed groups, which include over 1000 militants from the North Caucasus according to the Russian data sources.

It is to be stressed that none of the Russian partners and none of the states, which are fighting against ISIS, has mentioned that there are units of so-called “moderate opposition” in that they do not recommend to make strikes in this area. On the contrary, these territories are known as the ones controlled by the most radical illegal armed groups.

Now the General Staff is elaborating additional security measures for the Russian airbase.

First: All the activities of the attack aviation will be carried out only under cover of fighter aircraft.

Second: Air defence will be reinforced. For that purpose, the Moskva cruiser equipped with air defence system Fort analogous to the S-300 one will go to the shore zone of Latakia. Russian Defence Ministry warns that all the potentially dangerous targets will be destroyed.

Third: Contacts with Turkey will be terminated at the military level.

(Im Original auf Englisch veröffentlicht)