Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: "Turkey is playing with fire. The new "sultan," Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has chosen a dangerous path of confrontation with Moscow," the Italian newspaper noted.
A Turkish F-16 shot down the Su-24 on Tuesday, claiming that the aircraft violated its airspace. Russian officials and the Su-24 pilot, who survived the crash, insist that the plane did not cross into Turkey. The crew, according to the pilot, did not receive any warning prior to the attack.
Russia has been actively engaged in counterterrorism efforts in Syria since late September. Thanks to Russian assistance, Damascus-led forces managed to take certain areas earlier held by militants under control.
For its part, Turkey has always been ambivalent in its attitude towards fighting ISIL, the newspaper noted.
On the one hand, Turkey reluctantly launched airstrikes against ISIL this summer. On the other, Ankara used the opportunity to bomb the Kurds, who have been fighting the brutal group for nearly 16 months.
Whatever happens following the incident, ISIL is the only one to profit from the current antagonism between Russia and a NATO member, Il Giornale pointed out. The terrorist group has been affected by the Russia- and US-led aerial campaigns and unable to expand the self-proclaimed caliphate beyond areas it managed to occupy in June 2014.
ISIL, according to the Italian newspaper, will be able "to take a breath" should a major fall out among the nations determined to fight the terrorist group take place.
