Russian-Turkish air dogfight over North Syria narrowly avoided. Erdogan defies Putin

As the Syrian army advanced against Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham rebel forces in the key southern Idlib town of Khan Sheikhoun, Turkish Air Force F-16 fighters on Tuesday, Aug. 20 flew over the battle scene, causing Russian Su-35 fighters at the Khmeimim air base near Latakia to scramble in response. They warned the Turkish pilots to withdraw or else be shot down. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Russians accompanied their ultimatum by positioning the S-300 and S-400 air defense batteries deployed at the base at the ready. A short time later, when the Turkish air crews saw the Russian Su-35s flying alongside, they turned tail and left Syrian air space.

Western military sources tracking the fighting in Idlib believe that, although the Turkish pilots were told to break contact with their Russian pursuers on Tuesday, they may try again if the rebel force supported by Ankara falls back under the Russian-backed Syrian government offensive. The danger of a direct Turkish-Russian air engagement is therefore likely to recur.

The last Turkish-Syrian aerial showdown occurred four years ago when, on Nov. 25, 2015, a Turkish F-16 fighter downed a Russian Su-24M strike plane over northern Syria. The crisis in Russian-Turkish relations lasted for several months. Our sources stress that Turkish President Recep Erdogan is evidently determined at all costs to thwart the Syrian-Russian drive in Idlib, so much as that he is willing to take on President Vladimir Putin in head-on operations to achieve his ends.

A colonel from a Syrian rebel faction confirmed that fighters from a Turkish-backed rebel force have joined the defense of Khan Sheikhoun. Our sources identify this force as a Turkman militia which fights under Turkish officers. According to earlier reports, a Syrian government air strike failed to stop a Turkish convoy heading to the northern Syrian town of Morek. The convoy is reported to have included about 50 armored vehicles, at least five of which were tanks.

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53 thoughts on “Russian-Turkish air dogfight over North Syria narrowly avoided. Erdogan defies Putin

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 11:57 at 11:57
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    I am pleased to see Russia protecting the Kurds in Idlib!
    I want Turkey OUT of NATO – its a terrorist nation with a terrorist leader!

    • Aug 20, 2019 @ 14:30 at 14:30
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      Shep… Seems like everybody Defends Kurds when they choose but Kurds like Israel Always Defend themselves anyhow. Why Independent Kurdistan needs to break up Iran, Iraq, Turkey & Syria is Benefit for Israel! The Ottoman Empire Ruled Mideast with Cruelty & Genocide on the Armenians before WWI as EU Power watch doing nothing & Turkey objected to Israel from becoming a Nation at that time as well. Turks only Live in Western Turkey & Eastern Turkey is the Kurdish Culture Majority.

      • Aug 20, 2019 @ 18:12 at 18:12
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        Fck off, cnt and you cnts are fckd

        “it must be said, to the credit of the Turks, that their rulers behaved toward the conquered with a degree of tolerance and generosity which is unparalleled in the history of the Christian peoples of the period”

        David Ben-Gurion, 1918

        • Aug 20, 2019 @ 23:40 at 23:40
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          Read Full Book Not One Public Quote: “Whatever Ben Gurion’s public strategy may have been, he wrote privately to his father in 1919 `Jamal Pasha then Turkish military Ruler in Palestine planned from the outset to destroy the entire Hebrew settlement in Eretz Yisrael, exactly as they did the Armenians in Armenia’ (p. 325). One can only surmise that Ben Gurion’s praise of the Turks was linked to his scheme to achieve a Jewish Homeland under an Ottoman umbrella.”

        • Aug 21, 2019 @ 3:42 at 3:42
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          Haha, yeah, isn’t that ridiculous, when the Turks killed almost 2 million Christians? Sheesh.

        • Aug 22, 2019 @ 11:06 at 11:06
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          Candidate Obama said he would recognize the Armenian Genocide. President Obama said boys will be boys.

      • Aug 21, 2019 @ 4:28 at 4:28
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        Eastern part of Turkey or Diar Beker was part of Iran until lost in Chalderan war with Ottoman empire. Turkey is part of coalition supporting ISIS although in different name. Israel is also supporting them. Obviously they forgot enemy of enemy is not a friend.
        This is a war of big corporation and ISIS is supported by western forces vs Syria supported by Iran and Russia

        • Aug 22, 2019 @ 6:53 at 6:53
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          sure, if you and your wild-eyed friends say so. daesh couldn’t possibly be exactly what they claim to be: a bunch of islamists who want to reinstate the caliphate. that would be too obvious, and your little heads would just explode.

    • Aug 20, 2019 @ 16:04 at 16:04
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      Agreed

        • Aug 21, 2019 @ 3:18 at 3:18
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          Russia is the country that will put Israel’s survival to the test. Broken security agreement, that will be Israel’s test.

          • Aug 22, 2019 @ 6:56 at 6:56
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            sure, with a few dozen jets at hmeimim. right.

    • Aug 21, 2019 @ 2:16 at 2:16
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      TURKEY HAS NO MORE PLACE IN NATO IT IS A RADICAL MUSLIM DICTATORSHIP KICK THEM OUT THEY KILLED THE ARMANIAN PEOPLE HITLER STYLE NOW THE KURDS
      TURKEY REALLY DOES NOR WANT TO SCREW WITH RUSSIA THAT IS THE REASON THEY JOINED NATO AFTER WW2 RUSSIA HAS WANTED TURKEY FOR 100 YEARS THE TURKS BEGGED NATO TO PROTECT THEM

    • Aug 21, 2019 @ 7:01 at 7:01
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      I forgot about the Kurds.

      Fascist Iran is at War with

      – USA
      – Israel
      – Saudi Arabia
      – UK
      – Kurds

      Fascist Iran is going DOWN.

    • Aug 26, 2019 @ 11:29 at 11:29
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      Terrorist’s name is Israel and Zionism is

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 12:35 at 12:35
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    Turkey threatening Israel (as they have in the recent past) is one thing but Turkey threatening the Soviets (oops…………………I meant the Russians) is quite another.

    If Turkey still intends to confront the Russians, it may not be premature for the Kurds to start celebrating!

    • Aug 20, 2019 @ 14:44 at 14:44
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      DaveOrange… As America Withdraws from Mideast Conflicts Turks, Russians, & Iranians Prideful Empires Think they can Replace but Too Weak & All Authoritarian Leaders with No Political Ethics! Russia’s CTSO Military Alliance Verses NATO On Decline & More Conflicts on the Way: https://youtu.be/Bp87leGtaEs

      • Aug 21, 2019 @ 0:18 at 0:18
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        I don’t believe any of it. Why would Turkey change course, after buying Soviet (I’m sorry Russian) equipment, then confront Russia. This begs the question!! Has this been staged to fool many of the Middle East participants??
        Think it about this and watch as this unfolds over the many months ahead.

    • Aug 20, 2019 @ 16:17 at 16:17
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      Yep, and unlike Israel apologizing and paying turks after the Mavi Marmara, the Russians will do no such thing.

    • Aug 21, 2019 @ 0:06 at 0:06
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      Don’t Forget, Russia actually was first to Recognise British Mandate Terminated 14 May 1948 & on 15 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion Declared Israel Became First Prime Minister! The same day President Truman Recognized the State of Israel & USSR was the First to Recognise Israel by “(De Jure-Means By Right)” on 17 May 1948, followed by Nicaragua, Czechoslovakia, Serbia, and Poland. USA “De Jure” Recognition on 31 January 1949 after First Election.

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 13:58 at 13:58
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    yeah, ‘showdown’ = Turkish f-16 duck shot an ancient Russian ground attack platform operating in Syrian airspace without warning resulting in Turkish humble pie.

    • Aug 20, 2019 @ 16:28 at 16:28
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      SU-35 S-400 ancient? If so why do these platforms scare the US so much?

      • Aug 20, 2019 @ 18:22 at 18:22
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        First flight‎: July 1967; The Su-24 is used almost exclusively for low-level missions.

      • Aug 20, 2019 @ 19:09 at 19:09
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        I think he’s talking bout when Turkish “us trained” pilot downed Russian bomber

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 14:20 at 14:20
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    Remnants of Power among Old Sultans & Czars Empires from the 16th Century. Both reduced to Smaller Strategic Global Roles mixed in with Moscow 3rd Rome Orthodox Christians versus Ottoman Islam! Erdogan & Putin 2 Geopolitics Irritants in Decline Why Do Russia And Turkey Hate Each Other? https://youtu.be/uIYtUXjWz9I

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 14:34 at 14:34
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    You can Never Trust Erdogan and the Turks, they need to be brought down to size, either by Russia or Israel.

    The Turks have a long history of violence, Genocide against others such as the Armenians, Greeks and others,

    Its time for a Turkish spring, where the Turkish people throw out Erdogan and his Corrupt family and friends

    • Aug 21, 2019 @ 0:42 at 0:42
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      Justice Discards Party, Friendship & Kindred. GST001

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 16:22 at 16:22
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    Amen

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 16:32 at 16:32
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    ??????

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 16:45 at 16:45
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    i dont beleive that russian army can beat turkish . the balance of forces is not in russian favour. POUTINE WILL TAKE A BIG BEATING HE TRIES TO ATTACK TURKISH

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 16:47 at 16:47
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    i dont beleive that russian army can beat turkish . the balance of forces is not in russian favour. PUTINE WILL TAKE A BIG BEATING IF HE TRIES TO ATTACK TURKISH

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 16:52 at 16:52
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    Russia vs. Turkey. I’d pay to see that fight.

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 17:27 at 17:27
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    The Turkish gobble-gobble will not stop the Russians from shooting down a few of Er-Dog-an pilots…

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 17:57 at 17:57
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    I don’t think Erdogan realizes who he is messing with as Putin is not Bibi. If he gets into a shooting war with Russia he won’t be getting monetary payments in return!

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 19:08 at 19:08
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    Terrorist country of Turkey has no chance against Orthodox Christian Russia.

    Hopefully, Putin sends them a clear and tangible message soon !

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 20:03 at 20:03
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    wouah russia deployed su-35 and s300 and s400 against 2 Turkish f16 very astonished from russia which has always claimed that those arm systems are the best in the world .!!!!!!we see from that deployed that russians themselves are not sure about the effectiveness of arm systems. the s400 and s300 and su-35 Worth Nothing.

    • Aug 21, 2019 @ 4:09 at 4:09
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      Apparently you’re unaware of our integrated radar systems work. Asking would’ve been better, than making a dumb statement and displaying your ignorance. The fact they only had Pantsir-1 short range systems on is to detect and destroy smaller less low flying threats, like drones, the ones they normally face from the terrorists. Turning on the S300/400 radars only activated a vast operational coverage that meant, they could monitor those Turkish jets and fired on them any where over and beyond that airspace if they did otherwise. The SU-35s were only scrambled to identify the F-16s since there was no point of contact between both militaries about Turkish planes being overhead since the area is currently an active combat zone open to the Syrian and Russian workforces only.

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 20:06 at 20:06
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    Headline: Russians eat finger lickin fried turkey.

  • Aug 20, 2019 @ 21:16 at 21:16
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    Erdogan dictator* , Putin dictator*** .

  • Aug 21, 2019 @ 0:22 at 0:22
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    Wow!!!
    People neither of these actors are trustworthy!!
    Keep watching the truth will come forward in the months ahead

  • Aug 21, 2019 @ 12:43 at 12:43
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    If only Turkey had F-35’s now 😀

    • Aug 22, 2019 @ 7:07 at 7:07
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      what for? the f-35 is not a dogfighter, and most of its fiercesome weapons are still vapourware. the su-35 is primarily a fighter, not a 3-way compromise between conflicting services, and not overly reliant on glitchy electronics. in a real fight, the russians might not be as elegant as the yankees, but i wouldn’t bet any money on the turks.

  • Aug 21, 2019 @ 13:43 at 13:43
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    I’m making over $10k a month working part time. I kept hearing other people tell me how much money they can make online so I decided tolook into it. Well, it was all true and has totally changed my life….Simply go to the BELOW SITE and start your work…>

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    • Aug 21, 2019 @ 14:35 at 14:35
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      Remember an old French proverb:

      “If you’re born stupid . . . it lasts a long time.”

    • Aug 21, 2019 @ 16:57 at 16:57
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      Let them fight each other, who cares.

  • Aug 21, 2019 @ 17:24 at 17:24
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    The Turks have goals: 1) Build regional power, with unrealistic dreams of a restored empire (for home consumption); and 2) promote US interests, which are to prevent a group of nations from forming a coalition against them (the US may have the stronger military but can’t defeat a combination of nations – look at the Nazi Germany example, which would defeat one nation but was crushed by combined efforts). So, these types of situations are more gestures than anything else; Russia knows they are nothing more.

    • Aug 22, 2019 @ 8:17 at 8:17
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      turkey hasn’t “promoted us interests” for quite a while. it isn’t “us interests” to promote isis, or to try to break the israeli arms blockade of gaza. or to buy black-market oil from syria and iran. or libya. or to wipe out the kurds.

  • Sep 1, 2019 @ 2:24 at 2:24
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    Israel is the biggest violator of basic human rights even for its own citizens. The oppressive zionist regime will fall inshallah. I am iranian man living and working in herzliya pituach palestine. Waiting for my iranian brothers and sisters to come and liberate this land from the fake jews that claim this religion as their own. Real jews are from babylon, not europe or africa or yemen.

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