Turkey should apologize for downing jet: Russia

Moscow says Turkey should apologize and compensate for downing a Russian aircraft last year if it wants to mend bilateral ties.

According to the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed regret that Ankara has taken “no steps” yet toward redressing its “aggressive and treacherous acts.”

Bilateral relations have gone into a tailspin since Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber over Syria, killing one of its pilots on November 24, 2015.

Peskov said the Russian side “expects apology, explanations of reasons of the incident and payment of compensation for the downed jet and also compensation to the family of the killed pilot.”

His remarks came a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the two sides should work together to better bilateral ties.

Erdogan also reiterated Turkey's position that the incident had been the result of a “pilot error” made by the Russian jet.

President Vladimir Putin has called Turkey's downing of the Russian bomb “a stab in the back” by “the accomplices of terrorists.”

He has said Moscow was still waiting for an apology from Turkey or some assurances that “the culprits of this crime” would be punished.

SS