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Russian air carriers suspend cooperation with Turkish flight centers — source

Russian companies are freezing their contracts with the relevant centers as the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency denies to approve new contracts or to extend the current ones

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. Russian air carriers have suspended cooperation with Turkish flight training centers and aircraft maintenance centers, a source close to aviation told TASS.

Flight training centers along with aircraft maintenance centers operate in Turkey serving Russian airlines, the source said adding that the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) approves new contracts and any sort of work in Turkey.

Russian companies are freezing their contracts with the relevant centers as the regulator denies to approve new contracts or to extend the current ones, he said.

Earlier, the Russian daily Kommersant said that the Economic Development Ministry acting on the instruction of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has drafted a governmental resolution that tightens Russia’s sanctions against Turkey within the framework of "special economic measures" imposed on Turkey. In particular, it was suggested that Russian air carriers should limit the training of their civil staff in Turkey.

The downing of Russian Su-24 bomber by Turkey

Relations between Russia and Turkey have been locked in a spat over the downing of a Russian Su-24M bomber on November 24 by the Turkish Air Force’s fighter jet. Ankara claims the bomber violated the Turkish air space in the area of the border with Syria. However, Russia’s Defence Ministry has said the Su-24M plane stayed exclusively over the Syrian territory and "there was no violation of the Turkish air space."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Turkey’s attack will have "serious consequences" for the two countries’ relations. Putin said Ankara’s attack against the Russian plane, which took part in Russia’s antiterrorism operation in Syria and did not present a threat to Turkey, was a "stab in Russia’s back" delivered by terrorists’ accomplices.

On November 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on measures to ensure Russia’s national security and to protect its citizens from criminal and other illegal activities and to impose special economic measures against Turkey. In line with the decree, the Russian tour agencies and tour operators are instructed to suspend selling tours to Turkey and the government is ordered to impose a ban on chartered flights between the two countries. Also, Russia suspends employment of Turkish workers starting from January 1, 2016, imposes bans or restrictions on imports of certain goods and tightens control over activities of Turkish haulage companies.