State Department spokesman Mark Toner's statement regarding Turkey's move to shoot down a Russian warplane prompted an emotional response on Wednesday from Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Toner said that Turkey and the militants it backs in northern Syria had the right to defend themselves against Russian airstrikes. Zakharova responded by writing on her Facebook page: "Remember these words. Remember forever. And I will never forget [them]. I promise." The militants reportedly killed one Russian pilot who ejected from the Su-24 jet after it was hit by a Turkish missile on Tuesday. "If those Syrian Turkmen were actually being attacked by Russian strikes, they have every right to defend themselves," Toner said. When asked whether shooting at unarmed pilots could be considered self-defense, Toner played dumb, saying on behalf of the State Department that "there is no clear understanding of what happened there." On November 24, a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft was fired upon in Syria, 2.5 miles away from the Turkish border, after it was hit with an air-to-air missile launched from a Turkish F-16 jet. Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to the Turkish downing of the Russian warplane by describing it as a "stab in the back."
