A Russian warplane was shot down on Tuesday by Turkey, which claimed that the jet had ignored repeated warnings after it violated Turkish airspace. The incident has thrown an already volatile region further on edge.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the downing of the plane “a stab in the back by the terrorists’ accomplices,” adding that it would have “serious consequences for Russia’s relationship with Turkey.” Despite being important trade partners, relationship between the two countries has been strained of late over Syria.
It is apparently the first time a NATO member has shot down a Russian plane in five decades. NATO’s governing body, the North Atlantic Council, held an emergency meeting in Brussels shortly after the incident.
The incident preceded a planned meeting at the White House between President Obama and French President Francois Hollande to go over their strategy to eradicate ISIS.
What is the impact of the downed plane on Russia and Turkey relations? How would it impact the international community’s plan to fight ISIS?
Guests:
Henri Barkey, Director of our Middle East Program and an expert on the relationship between Russia and Turkey at the DC-based Wilson Center, an independent research center looking at global issues
William Courtney, adjunct senior fellow at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, and a former U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan and Georgia