Russia’s President Vladimir Putin called Thursday for “one powerful fist” to fight terrorism, hinted at more sanctions against Turkey and accused Western powers of creating “a zone of chaos”, the Associated Press writes. Two Turkish officials declined to directly comment but stressed that Turkey remained part of the air coalition. Given the general mood in the ministers’ home countries, however, the tension persisted.
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On November 24, the Turkish Air Force’s fighter jet shot down a Russian Su-24M bomber. Putin knows that to engage in a war with a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member would be madness, provoking other countries in the US-led military alliance to come to Turkey’s defence.
Another Russian serviceman was killed in the rescue operation.
If Turkey retaliates in response to Russia’s economic actions, the impact on the economy of Russia, which invested around $25 billion mostly in Russian gas supplies in Turkey previous year, will be sizeable.
“No negativity has resulted from the problems we have recently faced”, he said.
Other measures include warnings to Russian citizens not to travel to Turkey; suspension of big energy projects, including a nuclear power plant; bans on Turkish food exports to Russia; a ban on Turkish workers, and; blocking thousands of Turkish trucks from entry into Russia.
This was the second time this week the State Dept. has pushed back on the Russian government, despite the Russian defense ministry presenting satellite imagery and drone footage purportedly showing oil trucks crossing the Syrian-Turkish border.
Despite the sanctions, however, Davutoglu said on Monday that Turkey would not apologise for “protecting its borders”.
“There was a Soviet propaganda machine in the Cold War era”, Davutoglu told reporters in Ankara. “Every day it created different lies”. Firstly they would believe them and then expect the world to believe them.
Calling the accusations “nonsense”, Davutoglu added, “This was an old tradition, but it has suddenly reared its head again”. Both Turkey and Russian Federation have arguably taken steps that have benefited ISIS, but the tit-for-tat battle over which government is in business with the Islamic State, and the dubious “proof” being offered, is just distracting.
The Turkish and Russian foreign ministers, meanwhile, met on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade on Thursday, the first at a senior level between the two countries since the plane’s downing.
“When US officials say they don’t see how the terrorists’ oil is smuggled to Turkey…it smells badly of a desire to cover up these acts”, said Russian Defense Ministry in a Saturday statement on Facebook.
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In a state of the nation speech, broadcast live on Russian television, he said that “if anyone thinks Russia’s reaction will be limited to trade sanctions, they are deeply mistaken”.
