China Says Russia Could Shoot Down Turkish Jet in Retaliation

Situation represents 'most critical moment since the end of the Cold War'


Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece the Global Times warns that Russia could be considering a retaliatory shoot down of a Turkish warplane in response to today’s downing of an Su-24 fighter jet.

With Russia warning Turkey that “inevitable consequences” will ensue as a result of the incident, the Chinese newspaper asserts that the situation, “Could be one of the most critical moments since the end of the Cold War.”

As Reuters reported earlier this year, the Global Times is an, “Influential nationalist tabloid owned by the ruling Communist Party’s official newspaper the People’s Daily,” therefore reflects the views of top Chinese government officials.
“Ankara must be well aware of what it means to shoot down a Russian warplane,” states the editorial. “Next it will be careful enough not to give Russia a chance to down one of its warplanes in retaliation. Moscow probably has to cross the Syrian-Turkish border to implement retaliation, which however risks escalating military confrontation.”

“If Russia strikes down a Turkish warplane in Turkish airspace, or strikes a Turkish air base, it will touch NATO’s nerve. If NATO takes no action, its pledge to protect smaller alliance members will be discredited. However, if NATO adopts substantial action toward Russia, Europe will confront an unprecedented turbulent situation not seen since World War II.”

The piece argues that the crisis is even riskier than when Vladimir Putin was considering whether to annex Crimea, because Putin’s “personal prestige” and Moscow’s “tough image” is on the line.
The incident threatens to escalate a “Cold War-style confrontation with NATO,” states the editorial, and could represent a “climax of geopolitical crises over the past decades.”

As we document in the video below, a key factor in Turkey’s decision to shoot down the Russian jet could well have been its opposition to Moscow’s bombing campaign against ISIS.
Just days before the shoot down, Ankara threatened Moscow with “serious consequences” if it continued its onslaught against ISIS in Syria.

According to recovered intelligence documents, Turkey has been coordinating with ISIS commanders as well as helping the terror organization finance its operations through black market oil sales.

Source: infowars