The Russian President branded the downing of the jet on the Turkish-Syrian border as a “heinous war crime”, vowing Turkey would “regret what they’ve done for a long time”.
Advertisement
A Turkish official says the foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia met Thursday on the sidelines of a Europe security meeting, their first high-level bilateral talks since Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet late last month.
In a reference clearly aimed at the West, Putin said in his annual state of the nation address that countries “should not apply double standards on terror” or use terrorist groups for their own needs.
Putin further evoked the term “Allah”, the Islamic and Arabic word for God, saying the Turkish political elite lacked wisdom and judgement. “Emotions are running high (in Turkey and Russia), but my president (Nazarbayev), knowing Mr Putin very well personally and knowing his great potential to be constructive and knowing personally President (Tayyip) Erdogan, believes and hopes they will think strategically in this very hard situation”, Idrissov said.
The Russian defence ministry on Wednesday released an array of satellite and aerial images which it said show hundreds of oil lorries streaming across the border.
Yesterday, Russia claimed to have published proof that the Turkish president and his family were benefitting from the illegal smuggling of oil from Isis-held territory.
A Russian parliament member, Vasily Likachev, told state news agency Tass that Moscow has sufficient evidence on oil sales to file a claim with the UN International Court of Justice.
Russia has implemented a series of economic sanctions against Turkey, including banning fruit and vegetable imports and ordering Russian tour operators not to send tourists to the country. He called on Putin to do the same if they are not.
Erdogan s claims of Russian complicity with IS mirror allegations made by Moscow against Turkey and its leader in recent days.
“No one has the right to slander Turkey by accusing it of buying oil from Daesh”. “The cynicism of Turkish leadership is limitless”.
Turkish officials have said the plane violated Turkish airspace and had been warned repeatedly.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday accused Moscow of running a “Soviet propaganda machine”.
But he stressed Russian Federation and Turkey should “de-escalate” their row to resolve the issue and focus instead on Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the real enemy.
Answering a question on whether Moscow wants to form a broad anti-terrorist coalition, Putin said: “We always supported this”.
Advertisement
“We are confident that, with your help, truth will prevail”, he said, addressing the media.
