Turkey apologizes for shooting down Russian warplane last year
Source: Washington Post
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized Monday for the downing of a Russian warplane in November and called for Russia and Turkey to mend a bilateral relationship that has become openly hostile over the incident.
One Russian pilot was killed last year when two Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian Su-24 warplane over Turkeys border with Syria in an unexpected clash that Russian President Vladimir Putin called a stab in the back administered by the accomplices of terrorists. In footage later aired on Russian state television, pro-Turkish rebels fired automatic rifles at the Russian pilot as he parachuted to the ground. The Kremlin was furious, imposing a series of punishing sanctions against Ankara while demanding for months that Erdogan personally apologize.
On Monday, Erdogan wrote to Putin that he would like to inform the family of the deceased Russian pilot that I share their pain and to offer my condolences to them. May they excuse us. In a statement, Erdogans press secretary said Russia and Turkey have agreed to take necessary steps without delay to improve bilateral relations, specifically noting regional crises and combating terrorism.
We had no wish or intention to down a plane of the Russian Federation, a Kremlin press release quoted the Turkish communique as saying. I share their pain with my whole heart, Erdogan wrote of the family of the pilot
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-apologizes-for-shooting-down-russian-warplane-last-year/2016/06/27/d969e0ea-3c6d-11e6-9e16-4cf01a41decb_story.html
I think Turkey's economy that has taken a major hit has something to do with this. Erdogan was defiant at the time.
David__77
(23,220 posts)I hope that Russia and Turkey improve their relations and support a resolution to the war in Syria.
NWCorona
(8,541 posts)with Isreal as well.
840high
(17,196 posts)be trusted.
uhnope
(6,419 posts)or all the hospital bombings in Syria, or the carpet bombing of civilians there, never mind apologized.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/24/mh17-report-identifies-russian-soldiers-suspected-of-downing-plane-in-ukraine
http://www.businessinsider.com/more-evidence-that-russian-backed-rebels-in-ukraine-shot-down-a-malaysian-airliner-with-a-russia-made-missile-2015-8
cstanleytech
(26,082 posts)has something to do with it as well as why Russia invaded the Ukraine since they can now route it via the Crimean Peninsula.
Xolodno
(6,341 posts)Who was holding the gun to Erdogan's head?