“No preliminary conditions or restrictions for Russia’s surveillance flight were voiced by the Turkish side”, Ryzhkov was quoted by Tass news agency as saying.
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“Observation flights are conducted when both parties agree on a flight plan”.
According to Ryzhkov, Russian inspectors, together with Turkish specialists, were scheduled to perform an observation flight over the Turkish territory within the framework of the Open Skies Treaty from February 1-5.
The route was expected to include the observation of areas adjacent to the Syrian border and airfields where North Atlantic Treaty Organisation aircraft are concentrated.
The Association of International Truckers said in a statement on its website that Turkey refused to renew an agreement allowing Russian truckers to bring goods into Turkey.
“As a result of violations of the requirements of the Treaty and unconstructive actions on the part of Turkey, a unsafe precedent was created of an uncontrolled military activity of an Open Skies Treaty member state”, Ryzhkov said. “We are not going to leave without proper attention and relevant reaction violations of the Open Skies Treaty on the part of the Turkish Republic”.
Russia’s Defense Ministry says a Russian military adviser has been killed by mortar fire in Syria.
Russian Federation has imposed economic sanctions on Turkey in response to the downing of its jet, one of the worst diplomatic ruptures between a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member and Russian Federation in years, a standoff which has complicated worldwide efforts to fight Islamic State.
“The Turkish military said a Russian jet strayed into Turkish airspace and stayed there for a while despite constant warnings from Turkish radar officials in English and Russian”.
Assad’s forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have advanced on the rebels north of the Syrian city of Aleppo in recent days, choking opposition supply lines from Turkey and contributing to the collapse of U.N.-backed peace talks in Geneva on Wednesday.
The Russian defence ministry dismissed the claim as “baseless propaganda”.
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Following the Russian violation, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia “to act responsibly and to fully respect NATO airspace” but also urged for calm and a de-escalation of tensions between Moscow and Ankara.
