The Turkish foreign ministry is warning that the Russian attacks targeting civilian Turkmen villages “could lead to serious consequences”.
Turkey, a NATO member and the Western alliance’s second largest army, has already warned the Kremlin that it will shoot down its warplanes following repeated incursions into its airspace.
Both powers back separate sides in the Syrian civil war, with Turkey bidding to topple embattled Bashar Assad and Moscow is trying to keep him in power.
Turkey Threatens Kremlin with ‘Serious Consequences’ Following Repeated Incursions into Its Airspace
Already, Russia’s air strikes in support of Assad’s forces have shifted the balance of power in the conflict.
Should Turkey ever be attacked by Russia, all of NATO are obliged to hit back.
In the meeting with the Russian ambassador, Andrei Karlov, Turkey demanded a halt to Russian military operations in Syria near the Turkish border.
"It was stressed that the Russian side’s actions were not a fight against terror, but they bombed civilian Turkish villages and this could lead to serious consequences, the foreign ministry said."
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is already angry about Russia’s increasing involvement in the Syrian conflict.
Ankara has traditionally expressed solidarity with the Syrian Turkmen, who are Syrians of Turkish descent who are fighting Assad’s government forces.
The foreign ministry said Turkmen villages were subject to “heavy bombardment” by the Russian planes in the Bayirbucak area of northwest Syria, close to Turkey’s Yayladag border gate in Hatay province.
Turkey has also warned Moscow against supplying arms and support for Syrian Kurdish forces fighting ISIS in Syria.
Earlier today incredible footage emerged of Russian cruise missiles destroying ISIS targets from hundreds of miles away.
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