Russia pursuing suspected killer of downed pilot in Syria
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Russian soldiers in Syria are searching for Alparslan Celik, a Turkish citizen who claims to have shot a Russian pilot, when he ejected after his warplane was shot down by the Turkish air force over the Syrian-Turkish frontier in November.
The Russians, according to Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News, believe that Celik and his group were in the town of Rabia in western Latakia province, which they successfully captured in a campaign with allied Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah militants on Sunday.
They are reportedly looking to "take revenge" on the alleged killer of the pilot, Oleg Peshkov. Moscow had previously called on Ankara to find and apprehend Celik for the murder of Peshkov.
Celik had claimed credit in a video last year for the killing, saying the pilot deserved to die since he had dropped bombs on his fellow Turkmen.
"That pilot bombed us five minutes (before Turkey shot him down) and our brothers were killed or wounded by these bombs. There is no place for a person who has bombed civilian Turkmens every day in my conscious. Reprisal is the most natural right. There is life in reprisal," he said in the video.
The Russians are now making it clear they are going to avenge the murder by either capturing or killing Celik.
The Russians, according to Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News, believe that Celik and his group were in the town of Rabia in western Latakia province, which they successfully captured in a campaign with allied Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah militants on Sunday.
They are reportedly looking to "take revenge" on the alleged killer of the pilot, Oleg Peshkov. Moscow had previously called on Ankara to find and apprehend Celik for the murder of Peshkov.
Celik had claimed credit in a video last year for the killing, saying the pilot deserved to die since he had dropped bombs on his fellow Turkmen.
"That pilot bombed us five minutes (before Turkey shot him down) and our brothers were killed or wounded by these bombs. There is no place for a person who has bombed civilian Turkmens every day in my conscious. Reprisal is the most natural right. There is life in reprisal," he said in the video.
The Russians are now making it clear they are going to avenge the murder by either capturing or killing Celik.