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Moscow hopes for severe punishment of alleged murderer of Russian pilot — diplomat

According to the Russian diplomat, it doesn't matter which country the alleged murderer is brought to responsibility in
Portrait of Russian Air Force pilot Oleg Peshkov, a commander of the Su-24 bomber aircraft downed in Syria Alexander Ryumin/TASS
Portrait of Russian Air Force pilot Oleg Peshkov, a commander of the Su-24 bomber aircraft downed in Syria
© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Russia's Foreign Ministry hopes for a severe punishment of Alparslan Celik - the alleged murderer of a Russian pilot of Su-24 - and considered weird the claims this crime cannot be investigated in Turkey as it was committed in territory of Syria.

"This is a more than weird reason; we all have seen the tragic video, which shows directly the man confessed he had participated in murder of our pilot," Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Meshkov told reporters on Friday.

"We hope he will face a severe punishment for what he has done," he added.

TASS asked the deputy foreign minister in which country the alleged murderer should be brought to responsibility.

"It does not matter - what matters is he should face a severe punishment," the diplomat said.

The Turkish Air Force downed a Sukhoi Su-24 bomber of Russia’s Aerospace Forces on November 24, 2015 by an air-to-air missile fired by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet when the Russian plane was at an altitude of 6,000 meters 1 kilometer from Turkey’s border. Later the Russian Defense Ministry specified that the Su-24 was downed when it was returning to the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. The crew managed to eject, but one of the two pilots of the bomber was killed by fire opened from the ground. The second pilot was rescued and evacuated to the base.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Turkish Air Force attack against the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 plane, which took part in Russia’s antiterrorism operation in Syria and did not present a threat to Turkey, "a stab in Russia’s back" delivered by terrorists’ accomplices.

Izmir prosecutor’s office told TASS that it "continues the preparation of an indictment in the case of Alparslan Celik and 14 more defendants." Meanwhile, according to the Dogan news agency, Celik who has claimed responsibility for the murder in Syria of Oleg Peshkov, a pilot of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-24 bomber downed by Turkey, will not be charged with the murder. He is charged with illegal carrying and possession of arms. He is facing eight years in prison and a major fine for this offense.