Russia's Foreign Minister openly accuses Turkey of ‘siding with ISIL’

The Turkish government has sided with the terrorist organization ISIL by downing a Russian jet in Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced today in an official statement.

According to a summary of a phone call today between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart, "It was emphasized that—by shooting down the Russian plane engaged in the Air Force's anti-terrorist operation in Syria, which did not violate Turkish airspace—the Turkish government has in essence sided with ISIL."

Lavrov also accused Turkey of participating in ISIL's illegal oil trade, which runs through the region where the Russian jet was shot down, even implying that Turkey has aided militants in strengthening the weapons systems based in this area.

At a press conference on November 24, President Vladimir Putin also raised the issue of Turkish complicity in ISIL's oil trade, saying, "We've known for some time that a great amount of oil and oil products flow into Turkey from occupied territories in Syria."

On November 24, a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft was shot down in Syria earlier today, while conducting airstrikes against terrorist targets near the Turkish border. Turkey says the plane violated its airspace 10 times within a five-minute period, which defense officials in Moscow flatly deny.

Later on November 24, a Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed in Syrian territory controlled by armed militants, claiming the life of a Russian marine. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the helicopter was part of a search-and-rescue effort for the Su-24's pilots. The killed Russian marine was a contract soldier, not a conscript.

The second pilot of the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 was rescued by Syrian government forces and evacuated to safety. He claims the Turkish F-16s fired on him and his copilot without warning.