ANKARA, December 6. /TASS/. Turkey considers it necessary Russia lifts without delay the economic sanctions it announced after the incident with downed Sukhoi Su-24 bomber, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with TASS in response to a question regarding Ankara's reaction to the order by Russian president to use special economic measures against Turkey.
"The economy and trade have always taken special positions in our bilateral relations. We believe it incorrect because of the sorrowful incident to allow damaging our relations, which have developed a firm base over the efforts of many years," he said.
He said, earlier the two countries shared the understanding the trade and economic relations should not be influenced by political disputes.
"Instead of the escalation of the current tension, we should in cold blood and as soon as possible overcome this period and return our relations into the former trend. We should mind, that otherwise this sorrowful incident will bear the risk of lasting consequences and will build up the threat of lasting consequences, it will also contain the danger of complicating relations between our peoples," the foreign minister said.
"We consider it reasonable in the interests of our countries and their future to review those measures and also to cancel them immediately. Otherwise, the said economic measures will affect directly the economies of the countries and will cause negative consequences for the Russian people, no less than for the Turkish people," he said.
The relations between Moscow and Ankara worsened as an F-16 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian Su-24M bomber. Ankara claimed the Su-24M bomber violated the Turkish air space in the area of the border with Syria. However, Russia’s Defence Ministry 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 the attack on the bomber will have "serious consequences" for the Russian-Turkish relations. According to Putin, the Turkish Air Force’s attack on the Russian combat plane that took part in the operation against terrorists in Syria and posed no threat to Turkey is a "stab in the back of Russia."
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 and to ban chartered flights between Russia and Turkey with the goal of ensuring security within Russia.