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Russian lawmaker: Relations between countries should not affect fight against terrorism

Three suicide bombers blew themselves up late on Tuesday at the international terminal of Turkey’s biggest airport, killing at least 36 people and wounding 147 others.

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Konstantin Kosachev has said that cooperation between countries in the fight against terrorism should continue irrespective of relations between them.

When asked by a TASS correspondent whether Russia should offer Turkey help in the wake of the explosions at the Istanbul international airport, Kosachev said, "Cooperation in the fight against terrorism as well as assistance in dealing with the aftermath and fact finding must take place regardless of the nature of relations."

Three suicide bombers blew themselves up late on Tuesday at the international terminal of Turkey’s biggest airport, killing at least 36 people and wounding 147 others.

Relations between Russia and Turkey countries sharply deteriorated after a Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet downed a Russian Su-24M bomber in the sky over Syria on November 24, 2015. Pilot Oleg Peshkov was killed by militants from the ground after ejecting. Ankara claimed the bomber violated the Turkish airspace near the Syrian border. The Russian Defense Ministry said the warplane was flying over Syrian territory and had never violated Turkey’s airspace.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Recep Tayyip Erdogan had sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin apologizing for shooting down the jet and stressing "readiness to make every effort to restore traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Turkey."