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Turkey ready for dialogue with Russia — PM

"Let’s not start campaigns that remind of the Cold War, let’s sit down and discuss existing problems," Davutoglu said
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
© EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT

ANKARA, December 4. /TASS/. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said Friday that Ankara is ready for dialogue with Russia. Davutoglu spoke in favor of settling the crisis in bilateral relations that emerged after the Russian Su-24 jet was downed by Turkish aviation on November 24.

"There are no problems between the Turkish and Russian peoples. We have always been especially attentive to relations with Russia, and we think that now it is very important for us to hold doors for dialogue open," the Turkish prime minister told the Diplomatic Academy in Baku.

He also said that Ankara "does not accept the negative campaign launched against Turkey." "Let’s not start campaigns that remind of the Cold War, let’s sit down and discuss existing problems," Davutoglu said.

On November 28 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that suspends employment of Turkish workers starting from January 1, 2016. Also, Russia suspends the visa-free travel agreement with Turkey, imposes bans or restrictions on imports of certain goods (the list will be determined by the government). Besides, travel agencies are advised against selling holiday packages to Turkey. The government is instructed to tighten control over activities of Turkish haulage companies with the goal of ensuring security within Russia.

Russia suspends imports or "restricts foreign economic operations envisaging imports to the Russian Federation of certain goods originating in the Turkish Republic in line with a register determined by the government of the Russian Federation (exclusive of the goods brought into the Russian Federation for individual use in the amounts permitted by the laws of Eurasian Economic Union)," the decree says.

"For purposes of protecting national security and national interests of the Russian Federation, protection of the citizens of the Russian Federation from criminal or any other illegal activities," the decree stipulates bans or restrictions for organizations under Turkey’s jurisdiction to conduct certain types of activity within Russia in line with the register drafted by Russia’s government.

On November 24, the Turkish Air Force’s fighter jet shot down a Russian Su-24M bomber. Ankara claims the Su-24M bomber violated the Turkish air space in the area of the border with Syria. However, Russia’s Defense Ministry has said the Su-24M plane stayed exclusively over the Syrian territory and "there was no violation of the Turkish air space."

The crew of the Su-24M bomber managed to eject but one of the pilots, Oleg Peshkov, was killed by gunfire from the ground. The second pilot, Konstantin Murakhtin, was rescued and taken to the Russian air base. During the operation to evacuate Su-24M pilots a Mi-8 helicopter was lost. Marine Alexander Pozynich was killed in the operation.

Putin described the downing of the Russian jet that took part in the anti-terrorist operation in Syria and did not present a threat to Turkey as a "stab in the back." He warned about "serious consequences" for Russian-Turkish bilateral relations.