'Turkey not acting aggressively with Moscow after jet downing'

Image
IANS Ankara
Last Updated : Dec 16 2015 | 9:13 PM IST

Ankara said on Wednesday that it is not acting in an aggressive way towards Moscow, amid tense relations between the two countries following Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter jet last month.

"The Russian military has been acting for some time as if there is a perceived threat from Turkey to them, which is an exaggerated situation and has nothing to do with reality," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic told a press conference, Xinhua reported.

He also vowed that Turkey would not shoot down any more Russian warplanes if they stop violating Turkish airspace.

"If the Russian Federation also guarantees that there will not be any airspace violations, a similar incident will not happen again," Bilgic said in an apparent response to remarks by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov.

Earlier in the day, Meshkov said Turkey should guarantee that a similar incident will not happen in the future.

The Turkish spokesman also rejected Meshkov's call for Turkey to pay compensation for downing the Russian military plane.

"The Russian airplane was shot down because it violated our airspace," Bilgic said. "Meeting the Russian side's demands is not possible."

Ties between Ankara and Moscow have soured after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet on November 24 near the border, saying that it violated Turkish airspace.

However, Moscow vehemently denied the claim and insisted that the Su-24 fighter jet stayed over Syria during its flight.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 16 2015 | 9:02 PM IST

Next Story