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Updated 2.25pm
TURKEY HAS CONFIRMED that it shot down a Russian warplane, claiming it had violated Turkish airspace and ignored repeated warnings.
Russia is denying that the plane crossed the Syrian border into Turkish skies.
This afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the incident would have “serious consequences” for ties between Turkey and Russia, AFP reports.
The shooting down of the plane was “a stab in the back committed by accomplices of terrorists,” Putin said at a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Moscow, said AFP.
“We are looking into the circumstances of the crash of the Russian jet,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said earlier today.
“The Ministry of Defense would like to stress that the plane was over the Syrian territory throughout the flight.”
Putin said the plane did not “in an way threaten Turkey”.
Nato has called an emergency meeting in Brussels over the incident.
Russia said the Su-24 was downed by artillery fire, but Turkey claimed that its F-16s fired on the Russian plane after it ignored several warnings.
The ministry said the pilots parachuted but added that Moscow had no further contact with them.
AFP reports that one was found dead by Syrian opposition forces.
Footage
Video footage of the incident showed a warplane on fire before crashing on a hill and two crew members apparently parachuting safely.
Turkey’s private Dogan news agency said two Russian helicopters, flying low over the Turkmen Bayirbucak region, searched for the two pilots.
A Turkish military statement said the plane entered Turkish airspace over town of Yaylidag, in Hatay province.
“The plane violated Turkish air space 10 times in five minutes despite warnings,” the army said in a statement, adding it was shot down at 0724 GMT “according to the rules of engagement”, said AFP.
Russia summoned the Turkish military attache in Moscow while Ankara summoned Moscow’s charge d’affaires to the foreign ministry.
“Everyone must know that it is our international right and national duty to take any measure against whoever violates our air or land borders,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.
On Friday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador demanding that Russia cease operations in Syria targeting Turkmen villages, saying the Russian actions did not “constitute a fight against terrorism” but the bombing of civilians.
Ambassador Andrey Karlov was warned during the meeting that the Russian operations could lead to serious consequences, the ministry said.
Troops
Syrian troops have been on the offensive in the area that is controlled by several insurgent groups including al-Qaida’s branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, and the 2nd Coastal Division that consists of local Turkmen fighters.
Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the warplane crashed in the Turkmen Mountains region in the coastal province of Latakia.
The Turkomen Mountains region has been subjected to a government offensive in recent days under the cover of Russian airstrikes.
Last month, Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that it said had violated Turkey’s airspace.
Originally published 10.12am. Additional reporting - © AFP, 2015
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Am I the only one that thinks this was over dramatised. The students could still answer the question. So what that there was 3 possible correct answers… It just means that you still had to know what you were doing(and isn’t that what the exam is for)to get a right answer.
In my opinion they make the maths papers easier every year and still complain about how many fail. I never got bonus points for siting the honors paper and without a caculator to boot. We need to overhall our methods of teaching then we can worry about the exams.
You cannot overhaul methods of teaching with the current exam in place, I dare say if the exam were different so would the teaching.
Wow, he’s really on the ball! That only took him, what….10 days?
this happens year after year start at the top wipe the lot out including mr quin. put in a team that have passed their leaving cert who can check their qus… befour they send out
Here’s a maths problem… John works in an overspending overemployed and over unionised public service sector job that oversees the production of state exam papers. There were a number of errors in the final papers handed to students and the minister in charge wants to investigate what went wrong and how it could happen. Questions: A) How many public service sector workers will it take to investigate what happened? B) How many will actually be used? C)How much extra money will it cost to discover the causes and produce a report for the minister?
Let’s scape goat some poor official trying his/her best.
The minister is responsible – why ? See below
Paper One / Higher Level (EV) English
Paper One / Higher Level (IV) Irish
Paper One: Project Maths / Higher (EV)
Paper One: Project Maths / Higher (IV)
Paper One / Foundation Level (EV)
Paper One / Foundation Level (IV)
Paper One: Project Maths/F’dation (EV)
Paper One: Project Maths /F’dation (IV)
Paper One / Ordinary Level (EV)
Paper One / Ordinary Level (IV)
Paper One: Project Maths / Ordinary
Paper One: Project Maths / Ordinary(IV)
Paper Two: Project Maths / Higher (EV)
Paper Two: Project Maths / Higher (IV)
Paper Two / Foundation Level (EV)
Paper Two / Foundation Level (IV)
Paper Two: Project Maths /F’dation(EV)
Paper Two: Project Maths / F’dation(IV)
Paper Two / Ordinary Level (EV)
Paper Two / Ordinary Level (IV)
Paper Two: Project Maths/Ordinary(EV)
Paper Two: Project Maths / Ordinary(IV)
CONFUSED YET?
Now add massive cuts in funding in education.
Add political ideology to the mix and business lead education agenda.
I’ve no idea what your point is?
Wander
Neither does the Minister, the Department or the State Examinations Commission. Thats why the whole thing is a mess.
How long did it take to type that?
And how long would it take two men with two shovels to type that twice?
Investigation will cost 10million, take 3 years and not have any discernible outcome.
Don’t see what the fuss is about ! If there were possibly three right answers then all three should be marked as correct ! Also isnt how a student approached a problem more important than a correct answer. M xx
I’d imagine that whoever set the question will be fired.
Not if they can give a correct reason three times!!
Won’t be fired if they are in the Union. Probably will be moved and retrained in setting English exam questions. First though they need at least 6 months off on sick leave due to stress.
You must be joking Roderigo. They are civil servants. Incompetence is a pre requisite.
You can’t fire a public servant no matter how bad they are at their job. They will probably get a promotion as a way to move them from the role of setting exam papers without upsetting the union
Simon. Yes I actually was joking. Maybe a pay cut would be more appropriate!
“You can’t fire a public servant no matter how bad they are at their job”.
Yes you can. Ask any doctor or nurse.
Make other public servants legally responsible for their actions. You’d solve a lotta problems very quickly.
Like Quinn himself …. a mistake.
Like Gilmore …..another mistake.
Like Howlin…..yet another mistake !
Sack them too .
Shatter ……big mistake.
Hogan……..big mistake.
Reilly ………big mistake.
Yet nobody taking responsibility for any of those mistakes !
Rodigo, the exam was not set wrong, the mistake was made in the production/typing of the paper. As I’m sure you are aware the mistake was on the English version but the Irish version was correct.
Peter
Imagine how much better Ireland would be if condoms had been available when those mistakes were being made!
How ironic that I managed to do better in applied maths than maths! thats project maths for ya!
Poor public servants + terrible minister = examination cock ups.
Now that’s math!!
Poor private sector = massive recession. That beats a simple typo on an exam paper any day. :)
Questions were asked that aren’t on the new course!? There is so much confusion over what students actually need to know walking into their project maths exam. There’s all this stuff about different ‘phases’ of new course and the different textbooks and extra material not in the books make it impossible to follow. It seems the people writing the papers don’t really know what’s on the course either.
3 billion cant add yet gets the big job . Leaving cert mistake or down right count care less or are they looking for the big job
have your say