High tensions in Syria as Russian planes violate Turkish airspace. Reuters.

Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan. Reuters

The United States and NATO has denounced a pair of incursions by the Russian government in the country of Turkey. Reuters. In the past two days Russian jets, operating out of Syria, violated the airspace of Turkey. Turkey said that if further incursions were to occur, Russia would be held responsible for whatever happened. Russia confirmed the incursion and claimed that an SU-30 had crossed the Syria/Turkey border for a "few seconds". In response Turkey launched two F-16 fighter jets to intercept the plane. Russia claims that the incursion was a mistake and that it won't happen again. With NATO and Russia both conducting air operations in Syria, tensions are high and the fear is that an incident like the border crossing could escalate to an armed confrontation. Relations between the United States and Russia are incredibly poor right now. 

My Comment:

These incidents are not as serious as NATO is trying to make it out to be. My guess is that the first incident was an honest mistake. The SU-30's are a air superiority fighter, their role in this conflict is to provide cover for the SU-24's and SU-25's conducting airstrikes against ISIS and the rebels, so it makes sense that they would be deployed by the border. From what I understand the first incident was just a couple of seconds of airspace violation, the kind of thing that happens all the time. The 2nd one was more serious, with Russia getting a missile lock on a Turkish F-16. At least according to Turkish media, which has very little in the way of credibility for me. 

If it is true though, Russia is sending Turkey a clear message. And that message is don't mess with Russia. Turkey is apoplectic about Russia's intervention in Syria, to the point that they have made several veiled threats against Russia. They want Assad to fall and they are also not happy that Russia is supplying the Kurds with weapons. The only thing the Turks hate more then Assad is the Kurds (and the Greeks and Armenians), so it makes sense that they would be mad. Russia is trying to knock some sense into them and force them to recognize that their actions would have consequences and that it is not a good idea to threaten the bear. 

Of course, I don't know why anyone is upset about this incursion. Russia has been doing the same thing in Europe and in the Pacific for years. Russian airspace violations are common. To be frank, it's what Russia is known for. I'm pretty sure it is part of their military doctrine. They buzz ships, send bombers to the US coast, and test air defenses. My advice to Turkey is to suck it up and realize that it's what Russia does. We have all had to deal with it for years. It's nothing new and it is only newsworthy because it is happening in Syria. 

I also have to say that I am amazed that Turkey can accuse Russia of making Syria worse then it already was. Turkey has done almost nothing except make the war in Syria worse. Though Russia can be criticized for not targeting ISIS as much as they should, Turkey did far worse. They joined the war in Syria to fight ISIS but have spent almost all of their time killing the Kurds. And they turned a blind eye to the fact that ISIS was using Turkey as a pipeline to funnel recruits and funds through. 

And that's not all. Turkey has long supplied the various rebel groups fighting against Assad. Some of those groups are Islamic extremists. Turkey has also tried to neuter the strongest group fighting ISIS, the Kurds. Sure, many of the Kurds are communists and other far left radicals, but the fact remains that Turkey isn't any better then them. And Turkey has even been accused of falsifying the chemical weapons attacks blamed on the regime. Though that is a fringe theory, Turkey is certainly capable of doing so. 

I often wonder what Turkey is doing in NATO. They are a piss poor ally and I don't want the United States to have anything to do with them. I'm obviously biased against them, I am partially Greek after all, but I still think it would be better if we cut them out of the alliance. I like Russia much more then I like Turkey, so even if Russia shoots down a bunch of Turkish planes, I don't think we should fight for them. 

Speaking of Russia, one wonders how much of an effect these airstrikes are actually going to have. Air power alone can not defeat ISIS, or the rebels for that matter. If they could, Syria would have won the war a long time ago. What is needed is ground troops and as far as I can tell, Russia won't deploy them. It does seem like Iran is going to deploy troops, so that combined with Russia's air power could turn the tide.