Turkish Presidency: Erdogan's Letter to Putin Does Not Include Apology

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent letter to his Russian counterpart calling for the restoration of traditional friendly ties, did not include any words of apology over the downing of a Russian warplane in November 2015, presidential sources said on Tuesday.

    In the letter sent on Monday, Erdogan extended condolences to the family of the Russian pilot, whose warplane was downed over violation of airspace, the source said, according to Anadulo Agency.

    The source clarified that the sorrow expressed in the letter was addressed not to the Russian state, but to the pilots family, and there was no reference to compensation.

    The source said that Turkeys position on Syria, Ukraine and Crimea would remain unchanged, "however, from now on we will be able to communicate directly with Russia on these issues and get involved in the developments".

    Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told journalists on Tuesday that Turkey will not pay compensation over the downing of the Russian jet which was violating Turkish airspace last year. "We only expressed our sadness over the incident and shared the grief of the Russian pilot's family," Yildirim said during his party's group meeting. 

    Following the downing of a Russian warplane in Turkish airspace last November, the Kremlin ordered sanctions on food products, an end to visa-free travel, and a ban on Russian tourists taking package holidays in Turkey.

    "The initiatives by the two presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin have finally started bearing some fruit," said Yildirim. "Our most important goal is to improve our relations with our neighbors".

Source : QNA