War on terror and its costs

Russia and Turkey Clash After Jets Face Off Along Syrian Border

Russia risked confrontation with Turkey after military jets from the two countries on opposite sides in the Syrian civil war faced off and the government in Ankara warned it would protect its airspace at any cost.

A Russian warplane violated Turkish borders before exiting into Syria on Oct. 3, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. A day later, two unidentified MiG-29s locked on to two Turkish F-16s for almost six minutes during a patrol flight along the Syrian border, according to Turkey’s military.

The violations followed Russia’s launching of airstrikes in Syria to bolster its ally, President Bashar al-Assad, further complicating the four-year conflict. Turkey, which backs Assad’s opponents and has NATO’s largest military after the U.S., said Russian missiles have struck moderate opposition forces and civilians as well as Islamic State terrorists.