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Russian warship fires warning shots at Turkish trawler to avoid collision Russia warns Turkey against further 'provocations' after shooting vessel
(about 1 hour later)
A Russian warship has fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing vessel to prevent the boats colliding, the defence ministry in Moscow has confirmed. Russian state media reported that the Smetlivy, a military vessel, fired the shots across the bow of an unnamed Turkish boat after they passed within 500 metres of each other. Russia has warned Turkey to stop staging “provocations” against its forces in or near Syria after one of its warships fired warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean to avoid a collision.
Russia’s defence ministry has reportedly summoned the Turkish military attache to Moscow to discuss the incident, which allegedly came after the fishing vessel failed to respond to earlier warnings. Relations between the two countries have become increasingly strained since Turkey shot down a Russian fighter plane near its border with Syria. The Russian defence ministry said the destroyer Smetlivy had been forced to fire the warning yesterday morning and that it had summoned the Turkish military attache over the incident.
“The Turkish military diplomat was given a tough explanation about the potentially disastrous consequences from Ankara’s reckless actions towards Russia’s military contingent fighting against international terrorism in Syria,” the defence ministry said.
“In particular, our deep concerns about more Turkish provocations towards the Russian destroyer Smetlivy were conveyed.”
The ministry said the Smetlivy was unable to establish radio contact with the approaching Turkish seiner, which also failed to respond to visual signals and flares. When the Koroglu Balikcilik was 600 metres away, warning shots were fired from the destroyer and the Turkish ship quickly changed course, passing within 540 meters.
“Only by luck was tragedy avoided,” the ministry added.
The incident occurred in the northern part of the Aegean, about 13 miles (22km) from the Greek island of Lemnos, the Russian ministry said.
The Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was in Rome for talks on Libya, said Ankara was investigating the matter and would make a statement once it had more information. He also reiterated Turkey’s position that it wanted to resolve its difficulties with Russia. “We want to solve the tension with dialogue,” he saidin comments broadcast by TRT Turk.
Related: Russia won't forget downed jet, Putin warns Turkey in annual addressRelated: Russia won't forget downed jet, Putin warns Turkey in annual address
The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday that the Smetlivy, a guided missile destroyer, was unable to establish radio contact with the approaching Turkish trawler, which also failed to respond to visual signals and flares. So when the two were 600 metres away, the destroyer fired and the Turkish vessel quickly changed course. The incident is likely to heighten tensions between the two nations who are at odds over Syria and the shooting down of the Russian military jet by Turkey on 24 November. The incident was the first time a Nato member has shot down a Russian plane in more than half a century.
Russian deputy defence minister Anatoly Antonov informed Turkish Rear Admiral Ahmet Gunes of “the possible harmful consequences of the reckless actions of Ankara in regard to the Russian military contingent fighting international terrorism in Syria”, the ministry said in a statement. Turkey said it downed the plane after it violated its airspace for 17 seconds despite repeated warnings. Russia has insisted the plane remained in Syrian airspace. Vladimir Putin denounced the Turkish action as a “treacherous stab in the back” and has since imposed economic sanctions on Turkey as a retaliatory measure.
The incident occurred in the northern part of the Aegean, about 22km (13 miles) from the Greek island of Lemnos, the ministry said. On Friday Putin vowed Russia’s military would “immediately destroy” any target threatening them in Syria, which was widely interpreted as a strong warning to Turkey. Speaking at a meeting with senior commanders in Moscow, Putin said the military should respond with full force to any further provocations, adding that additional aircraft and air defence weapons had been sent to the Russian base near Latakia.
“I order you to act in the toughest way,” the Russian president said. “Any targets threatening the Russian groups of forces or our land infrastructure should be immediately destroyed.”
Earlier this month, Turkey complained to Russia over an incident in which a Russian sailor was pictured brandishing a rocket launcher on the deck of a naval ship passing through Istanbul.