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Turkish president says wishes plane downing had not happened

Following the incident, Russia deployed long-range S-400 air defence missile systems to a Russian air base in Syria to help protect Russian warplanes.

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The news comes just days after a Russian plane was shot down in the Middle East.

Saddened… Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced regret over Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane, saying his country was “truly saddened” by the incident.

On Friday Russia suspended its visa-free arrangement with Turkey and is planning to introduce a wide range of economic sanctions. But Putin wants an apology from Turkey before he will agree to talks. Turkey targeted the Russian jet Tuesday as Moscow was bombing a rebel group fighting against Assad with Turkish support.

Separately, the Syrian army said on Saturday that Turkey had recently increased supplies of weapons, ammunition and equipment to what it described as terrorists in Syria.

It was flown to Turkey’s capital, Ankara, where, according to Russia’s RIA news agency, it was met at an airfield by Moscow’s ambassador and military attache.

He says both sides should approach the issue in a more positive way.

“I urge Russian Federation to play a constructive role in Syria by targeting IS, our common enemy”, he added, referring to criticisms by Western nations that Russian Federation has been targeting non-IS opposition forces in Syria.

He accused Moscow of seeking to use the downing of the jet as an “excuse to make unacceptable accusations against us”, and accused Russians of “mistreating” Turkish citizens who were in the country for a trade fair.

Last week, Russian Finance Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said the sanctions would also freeze some prestige projects between the two countries, including a joint venture to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant and a Russian-Turkish gas pipeline called Turkstream.

Mr Putin has ignored Mr Erdogan’s phone calls, his press secretary said, because Mr Erdogan has not apologised for the incident.

Erdogan nevertheless said he wanted a direct meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when the two leaders are in Paris next week for the United Nations climate summit.

According to a statement issued by the Kremlin Saturday, Putin signed the order imposing a ban on economic operations of several organizations under the jurisdiction of Turkey as well as a temporary limitation on certain goods originating from Turkey.

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In remarks to Russian TV on November 28, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was due to announce further sanctions against Turkey later in the day.

Turkish president says wishes plane downing had not happened