President Barack Obama declared that Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter plane shouldn't lead to further wartime escalation in the region, CNN reports.
According to Obama Turkey had a right to defend its airspace and charged that Russian air activity near the Turkey-Syrian border has contributed to the crisis.
"This points to an ongoing problem with the Russian operations," Obama said. "They are operating very close to a Turkish border, and they are going after moderate opposition that are supported by not only Turkey but a wide range of countries."
In addition Obama urged Russia and Turkey to communicate about the details of the operation in order to decrease the chance of escalation, a message the White House said Obama relayed in a later phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.