Russia certainly tests everybody’s patience with its constant probing of other people’s air space; we in these islands are familiar with their bombers passing close by. So it may not have come as a big surprise that the Turks acted as they did. However when you look at the incident the Turkish position is well nigh impossible to sustain. This is why Western politicians and NATO have politely supported in public Turkey’s right to protect its airspace, while giving Ankara a roasting behind the scenes.
The Russian plane in no way threatened Turkey. It was engaged in combat against Syrian rebels whom Turkey supports but Russia does not in the muddle of the uncoordinated civil war in Syria mixed into the war on Islamic state. If it ever was in Turkish airspace it was passing across a narrow peninsular which it entered and left so fast that only fractions of minutes were involved. Because it was passing across it was leaving even as it was entering. The best word to describe the Turkish action is reckless. It has done itself much damage.
This is because its overall aim is to join the EU. Many do not want it as they regard Turkey as both troubled and a troublemaker and that view will be reinforced. The chances of Turkey getting into Europe now any time soon are zero. It will continue to try and invoke various articles of its NATO membership as it goes from one scrape to the next, but the best it can hope for from the alliance is tea and sympathy. Beautifully served of course.