Turkish military invited Russian military attaches in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday and informed about the downing of the Russian Su-24 warplane.
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Moscow said Russian and Syrian special forces had rescued one of the two pilots who ejected from the bomber as it plunged to the earth in a fireball but confirmed the second airman and a soldier sent to rescue him died. “Our pilots and our armed forces, they simply fulfilled their duties, which consisted of responding to… violations of the rules of engagement”.
“I think this is a good suggestion”.
Russia refuted Turkey’s statement, saying the Russian plane was in Syrian airspace when it was shot down.
The pilot was speaking at an press conference at the Russian Hemeimeem air base in Syria following his rescue.
It looked like a very unsafe situation just 24 hours ago, with one of the Russian pilots dead and Russian President Vladimir Putin threatening serious consequences. “We didn’t even get a visual of it in time to take evasive action”.
Ali Larijani made the comments during a meeting with Luxembourger Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn in Tehran on Wednesday.
Turkey claims that the downed Russian combat plane violated Turkey’s air space.
He also said Turkey had not given assurances that “the culprits of the crime” will be punished.
Ankara has maintained the nationality of the jet was unknown to it until the bomber was downed.
In addition, the Russian state-run consumer protection body said it has concerns about the quality and safety of clothing and furniture imported from Turkey. Its defence minister announced yesterday that it would deploy its most powerful air defence system in Syria.
“In these documents the focus will be on introducing limits or bans on the economic activities of Turkish economic structures working in Russian Federation, a limitation of the supply of products, including food products, and on the work and provision of services by Turkish companies and other restrictive measures”, Medvedev said.
Russian Federation and Turkey have found themselves on opposing sides in Syria’s conflict, with Russian Federation supporting President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey is a staunch critic. The radical group has claimed responsibility for the November 13 Paris attacks that killed at least 130, as well as the October 31 downing of a Russian passenger plane over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula that killed all 224 aboard.
“Russian policy in Syria has been strongly anti-western”.
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US President Barack Obama said Washington’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally Turkey had a right to defend its airspace but said his priority was to make sure the standoff did not escalate.
