Turkish Press Review

Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.



Dailies on Thursday mainly dedicated their front pages to remarks by Turkish and Russian leaders after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane which violated its airspace.



HABERTURK ran with the headline: "War and peace."



The daily suggested that diplomacy immediately after the incident defused tensions, writing that first contact was made with Russia on Wednesday.



Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.



On Tuesday, two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on an aerial patrol intercepted a Russian warplane within engagement rules when it intruded into Turkish airspace near the Syrian border.



The intruding aircraft was warned about the violation 10 times within five minutes before it was shot down, according to the Turkish military.



"We will not remain unresponsive" was VATAN's front-page headline, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks over the downing of the Russian warplane.



"No one should expect Turkey to remain silent in the face of constant violations of its border security and ignorance of its sovereignty," Erdogan was "ed as saying.



"Turkey does not want to escalate this incident. Turkey only defended its [border] security and its brothers' rights," he added.



MILLIYET's headline read: "Violations which made [Turkey] run out of patience."



The newspaper said: "Russia, which started its air campaign supporting the [Bashar] Assad regime in Syria on Sep. 30, made many violations despite many warnings."



There were two previous incursions by Russian aircraft into Turkish airspace, one on Oct. 3 and one on Oct. 4. Each time Turkish F-16 jets intercepted the Russian fighters forcing them to turn back. Turkey has formally protested against these incursions.



MILIYET also "ed Deputy Undersecretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ali Kemal Aydin as saying last month in Moscow: "Russian and Turkish planes had 13 dangerous encounters between Oct. 3 and Oct. 10."



STAR also claimed that the escalated tension between Turkey and Russia had been defused by the statements made by both sides. 



"The relations between big countries cannot be sacrificed over communication accidents," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in Ankara on Wednesday, while Lavrov told a televised news conference in Moscow, Russia would not take military action.



Assad forces' bombing of the Turkmen-populated region of Bayirbucak in Syria's northwestern Latakia province was also covered by some newspapers.



HURRIYET ran with the headline: "Here is the circle of fire."



The paper wrote that Assad forces were bombing the Kizildag area [in Bayirbucak region] non-stop, running a detailed photo of where the shelling was taking place.



On the same subject, MILLIYET wrote: "One artillery shot every 10 seconds."



In a separate incident, at least seven people were killed and another 10 injured by airstrikes reportedly carried out by Russian warplanes in Syria's northwestern Aleppo province on Wednesday.



Local sources said the airstrikes, which occurred in Aleppo's Azaz area, struck an aid convoy delivering supplies to refugees, killing seven drivers and leaving 20 trucks in flames.



YENISAFAK wrote: "Russia hit aid trucks."



Following the attack, the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) confirmed that some of its personnel had aided the stricken convoy.



In economic news, DUNYA reported that businessmen speaking to the newspaper demanded a restoration of relations between the two countries, which have a more-than $30-billion annual trade volume. - İstanbul