Turkey-Russia Showdown Risk Reignited Amid Ankara Warnings
- Turkish lira weakens as `geopolitical risks' are coming back
- Turkey says may not tolerate more airspace violations
“Russia can’t cover up the airspace violation,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said at a news conference in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Photographer: Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesTurkey’s allegation that Russia once again violated its airspace has reignited concerns of a military confrontation between the two powers, unsettling investors and further straining frayed ties.
Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in November after saying it crossed the border from Syria, and reported another breach over the weekend. The Turkish military has given pilots permission to shoot without awaiting orders if they register an incursion, local media reported. Russia has denied the latest charge, and President Vladimir Putin hasn’t decided whether to take a requested call from Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.