Putin Responds To Turkey: 'Loss Today Is A Stab In The Back'

Russian President Vladimir Putin was quick to respond to Turkey Tuesday after a Russian jet was reportedly shot down by Turkish fighter jets near the Syria-Turkey border Putin warned of "significant consequences" and called the move a stab in the back.

"This event is beyond the normal framework of fighting against terrorism," Putin said ahead of his meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Sochi, Russia, according to the Guardian. "Of course our military is doing heroic work against terrorism... But the loss today is a stab in the back, carried out by the accomplices of terrorists. I can’t describe it in any other way."

Countering Turkey's statement that it was only protecting its airspace, Putin described his version of the events Tuesday morning, saying the aircraft was shot down by an air-to-air missile from a Turkish F-16 over Syrian territory. He also said that the Russia pilots -- reportedly killed in the incident -- did nothing to threaten Turkey. "We will analyze everything, and today’s tragic event will have significant consequences, including for Russia-Turkish relations," Putin said, according to the Guardian. "We have always treated Turkey as a friendly state."

Putin ended his statement by bringing up the extremist Islamic State group, or ISIS, which recently claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks in France that killed 130 people in and around Paris. ISIS controls large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria.

“Do they want to make NATO serve ISIS?" Putin said of Turkey, according to the Guardian. "We hope that the international community will find the strength to come together and fight against the common evil.”

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the country has the right to protect its territory. “We want the international community to know that we are ready for any kind of sacrifice when the security and life of our citizens and our border security are concerned. The downing of a jet that had violated Turkish airspace today has to be seen in this context as well," Davutoğlu said, according to the Guardian.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reportedly called an emergency meeting with senior officials, including top generals, intelligence chiefs and Davutoğlu.