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Russian, Turkish foreign ministers meet for 1st time since jet downing

Kazakhstan, an ally of Russia which also has close trade, linguistic and cultural ties with Turkey, urged Moscow and Ankara on Thursday to think “strategically” and de-escalate their dispute over the Turkish downing of a Russian jet.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin snubbed an offer from Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris early this week.

Officials released satellite pictures, alleging they show oil tankers heading along three roads from ISIL-held areas to Turkey.

Turkey is doing all it can to control its border with Syria and is setting up “physical barriers” in the 98-km (61 miles) stretch of land controlled on the Syrian side by ISIS militants, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said today.

“Moreover, we will not be doomed if we can not acquire Russian gas”, he said, adding Turkey buys natural gas from various countries.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is ready to discuss the crisis in the relations between Moscow and Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu at the margins of OSCE conference in Belgrade.

Turkey has been hit by a wide range of sanctions by Russian Federation after it shot down the Su-24 jet for violating Turkish airspace for 17 seconds.

“According to inbound data, top Turkish leadership is involved in this criminal business, including president Erdogan and his family”. Russian Federation has imposed sanctions against Turkish products in retaliation for the downing. “Turkey hasn’t lost its moral principles as to purchase petroleum from a terror organization”, Erdogan said in Wednesday’s address at Qatar University, utilizing the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group, soon following the Russian Defense Ministry made the claims.

He said the military action has proven the capability of Russia’s modernized military.

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“Modern Russian weapons have worked efficiently, and the priceless experience of its use in combat will be analyzed to help further improve our weapons”, he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov