DUSHANBE, December 7, 2015, Asia-Plus – Russia’s
Sputnik
reports a famous Turkish whistleblower apparently said on Twitter that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan planned to shoot down a Russian warplane engaged in Moscow”s anti-Daesh campaign in Syria six weeks prior to the Su-24 incident.
Erdogan is worried about the outcome of the upcoming elections and is contemplating bringing down a Russian aircraft, the anonymous Twitter user, who goes by the name of Fuat Avni, posted on October 11.
@wikileaks
12.10.2015! He says erdoğan is afraid of election and thinking about shooting down Russian war plane.
pic.twitter.com/AZKBgncyo0
— Diyap Yıldırım (@UyusukKursun) December 5, 2015.
WikiLeaks retweeted an article that mentions Fuat Avni”s exposé, asking, “Did Turkish ”deep throat” reveal Russian jet shootdown plan six weeks ago?”
Fuat Avni, who is often sharing accurate insider information exposing Erdogan and his government, is said to have claimed that Erdogan was the one to give order to shoot down the Russian bomber over Syria under the false pretext that the aircraft violated Turkish airspace, according to
Sputnik
.
According to information WikiLeaks shared on Twitter, Erdogan had been trying to mobilize his voters prior to snap general elections, which were held on November 1, by dramatically escalating tensions with Russia. Interesting fact: the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which was founded by Erdogan, managed to regain parliamentary majority, which it lost five months earlier.
Following AKP”s victory, Erdogan, who as a president has limited powers, has pushed for a new constitution, which would grant the president significantly more powers. However, the AKP still needs 13 more votes to be able to hold a referendum on this issue.
“The November 1 election ushered in four years of stability and confidence. Let”s make this period a time of reforms, prioritizing a new constitution,” Erdogan said on November 10.
On November 24, a Turkish F-16 shot down a Su-24 bomber involved in Russia”s counterterrorism operation in Syria. Ankara claimed that the aircraft had violated its airspace, although it was shot down over Syrian territory.
Russian defense officials provided evidence that the aircraft had not crossed into Turkey. The pilot, who survived the crash, also confirmed that the alleged violation did not take place. Moreover, the crew, according to the pilot, did not receive any warning prior to the attack.
