Turkey 's action pitched its military against a force backed by its NATO ally , the United States . It was the first time Turkish warplanes struck in Syria since November 2015 , when Turkey downed a Russian warplane , and the first significant incursion by Turkish special forces since a brief operation to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah , in February 2015
Turkey downed a Russian warplane
2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
Operation Euphrates Shield