Emergency NATO meeting on downed Russian fighter
A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet of the type shot down this morning. Photo: AFP
Turkey has called an extraordinary meeting of NATO allies – including Iceland – after shooting down a Russian fighter jet which had reported violated Turkish airspace.
The North Atlantic Council, NATO’s governing body, will meet tomorrow in Brussels to discuss the incident. Both Turkey and Iceland are members of NATO and will be represented at tomorrow’s meeting.
Russia is said to be taking the incident extremely seriously. The Russian warplane was blown out of the sky this morning by an air-to-air missile from a Turkish F-16 jet. The two pilots ejected before impact, but one of them is believed to be dead.
“The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all,” reads Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.
“[I]f such an armed attack occurs, each of them […] will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith […] such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.”
Iceland has been a member of NATO since it was founded in 1949.
