President Obama said the shoot-down “points to an ongoing problem with the Russian operations” in Syria, including attacks against moderate Syrian opposition groups near the Turkish border.
If Russia were going after the Islamic State instead, Mr. Obama said, such mistakes “are less likely to occur.” He said it’s important for Turkish and Russian officials to communicate and to “discourage any kind of escalation.”
French President Francois Hollande called the incident “a serious one.”
“We must prevent an escalation,” he said.
Mr. Obama said the U.S. is still gathering facts of the shoot-down, but said Turkey “has a right to defend its territory and its airspace.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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