Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday warned that Ankara would activate military rules of engagement irrespective of who violates its airspace.

"Our rules of engagement are clear whoever violates our air space," Davutoglu told Haber-Turk television in an interview after Turkish jets intercepted a Russian fighter which violated Turkish air space near the Syrian border.

"The Turkish Armed Forces are clearly instructed. Even if it is a flying bird it will be intercepted," he added.

Davutoglu warned Turkey's enemies and allies not to infringe its airspace but he dismissed the notion of tensions with Russia.

"The Syrian issue is not a Turkey-Russia crisis," he said.

"Our channels with Russia remain open," he said hoping that Moscow would give up on its "wrong attitudes".

Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu contacted his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, warning him there should be no repeat of the incident.

Davutoglu said that Russia had made clear that the violation was accidental and insisted it would not happen again.

"The information passed on to us by Russia this morning is that what happened was inadvertent and Russia respects Turkey's borders and will not let this happen again," he said.

Turkey and Russia remain on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, with Moscow one of the few allies of President Bashar al-Assad while Ankara backs a solution excluding the embattled leader.

Davutoglu on Monday said it was better to focus on political transition rather than standing by a "dictator who oppresses his people".

AFP