Germans, Brits Say Downing of Russian Su-24 Unjustified, US Opinion Split

The majority of the German and British public say Turkey’s decision to down a Russian bomber over Syria was unjustified, while US citizens are divided on the issue, a new poll conducted by Populus exclusively for Sputnik revealed Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The poll, conducted between December 2 and 8, found that 63 percent of German and 50 percent of British respondents considered the Turkish attack to be unjustified. In the United States, 30 percent said that the action was unreasonable, while 39 percent considered it to be justified.

In Turkey, almost three in four respondents backed Ankara’s decision, with 14 percent opposing it. After the incident, the Turkish government claimed the Russian attack aircraft had been warned 10 times over the space of five minutes and asked to change direction. The surviving Russian pilot has denied this version of events.

A survey conducted by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) for Sputnik in early December found that 60 percent of people in France believed that Ankara went over board in ordering the Turkish F-16 jet to attack the Russian Su-24 plane, which it claimed had crossed into the Turkish airspace for 17 seconds.

The international public opinion project Sputnik.Polls came into being in January 2015, in partnership with Populus, a founding member of the British Polling Council. The project involves regular surveys in the United States and Europe on high-profile social and political issues.