This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/348562-putin-erdogan-turkey-pilot/
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Erdogan apologizes to Putin over death of Russian pilot, calls Russia ‘friend & strategic partner’ | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Vladimir Putin has received a letter in which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized for the death of the Russian pilot who was killed when a Russian jet was downed over the Syrian-Turkish border last November, the Kremlin said. | Vladimir Putin has received a letter in which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized for the death of the Russian pilot who was killed when a Russian jet was downed over the Syrian-Turkish border last November, the Kremlin said. |
Erdogan expressed readiness to restore relations with Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. | Erdogan expressed readiness to restore relations with Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. |
The incident involving the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber led to the worst deterioration of Turkish-Russian relations in recent history, with Russia describing it as a “stab in the back.” | |
“The head of the Turkish state expressed his deep sympathy and condolences to the relatives of the deceased Russian pilot and said ‘sorry,’” Peskov said. | “The head of the Turkish state expressed his deep sympathy and condolences to the relatives of the deceased Russian pilot and said ‘sorry,’” Peskov said. |
In his letter, Erdogan called Russia “a friend and a strategic partner” of Ankara, with whom the Turkish authorities would not want to spoil relations. | In his letter, Erdogan called Russia “a friend and a strategic partner” of Ankara, with whom the Turkish authorities would not want to spoil relations. |
“We never had a desire or a deliberate intention to down an aircraft belonging to Russia,” the letter read, according to a statement published on the Kremlin website. | “We never had a desire or a deliberate intention to down an aircraft belonging to Russia,” the letter read, according to a statement published on the Kremlin website. |
According to the statement, Erdogan’s letter stressed that “the Turkish side undertook all the risks and made a great effort to recover the body of the Russian pilot from the Syrian opposition, bringing it to Turkey. The organization of the pre-burial procedures was conducted in accordance with all religious and military procedures.” | |
Ankara has treated the family of the dead Russian pilot as if it were a Turkish family and is “ready for any initiatives to relieve the pain and severity of the damage done,” the letter said. | |
The address by the Turkish leader also informed that a criminal investigation has been launched against the person suspected of killing the Russian pilot, the Kremlin said. | |
In addition, Erdogan expressed readiness to tackle security challenges in the region and fight terrorism together with Moscow, it added. | |
Turkish Hurriyet newspaper reported that sources close to Erdogan have confirmed that the letter with the apology was sent to Moscow. | |
On November 24, 2015, a Russian Su-24 bomber, taking part in an anti-terrorist mission in Syria, was brought down by the Turkish Air Force. | |
The plane crashed in a rebel-held territory in Syria near the Turkish border. The pilots ejected, but one was killed by machine gun fire from the militants on the ground. | |
Turkish nationalist Alparslan Celik has claimed responsibility for the death of Russian Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov. | |
Ankara claimed that it attacked the Russian bomber for violating its airspace, but was never able to provide proof that any wrongdoing took place. | |
Moscow vigorously denied the Turkish claims, calling the downing of the plane “a stab in the back" from a state which it had considered an ally. | |
Russia reacted harshly to the incident, imposing a wave of sanctions against Turkey, which affected trade, tourism, joint energy projects and other areas. | |
From the start, the Kremlin made it clear that restoration of normal relations with Turkey would be impossible without Ankara apologizing and paying compensation to the pilot’s family. | |
The news of Erdogan’s apology had a positive effect on Turkey’s currency. The Turkish lira rallied to 2.9330 from 2.9430 against the US dollar, Reuters reported. |