Turkey President apologises to Vladimir Putin over downed jet

Moscow. The Kremlin said Monday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had apologised to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over Ankara’s downing of a Russian military jet in Syria last year that shattered ties.

“The head of the Turkish state in his message expressed his sympathy and deepest condolences to the family of the dead Russian pilot and said sorry,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Mr Erdogan’s written note said he wanted to do “everything possible for the restoration of the traditionally friendly relations between Turkey and Russia”, he added.

The Kremlin, which had repeatedly demanded an official apology for the November 24 incident, then released a statement citing Erdogan as saying Ankara “never had the desire and the intention” to down the Russian Su-24 warplane.

“I want to once again express my sympathy and deep condolences to the family of the dead Russian pilot and I say sorry,” the statement quoted the Turkish leader as saying.

Turkey’s downing in November of the warplane on its border with Syria — where Moscow is flying a bombing campaign in support of long-standing ally President Bashar al-Assad — sparked an unprecedented crisis in the two nations’ relations.

Ankara had argued that the Russian plane strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings, but Russia insisted it did not cross the border and accused Turkey of a “planned provocation.” The countries are on opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, with Ankara backing rebels fighting to topple Assad while Moscow is one of his last remaining allies.