Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin does not plan to meet his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan at a climate summit in Paris on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
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Defying calls from Moscow, Turkey’s prime minister said Monday that his country won’t apologize to Russia for shooting down a warplane operating over Syria, saying the Turkish military was doing its job defending the national airspace.
Amid high tensions that have elicited concerns from the U.N chief, Ahmet Davutoglu also said Turkey hopes Moscow will reconsider economic sanctions announced against Turkish interests in the wake of last week’s incident. The Turkish resort town of Antalya is “like a second home” to many Russian holidaymakers, he said, but refused to yield on Turkish security.
“No Turkish prime minister or president will apologize … because of doing our duty,” Davutoglu told reporters after meeting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels. “Protection of Turkish airspace, Turkish borders is a national duty, and our army did their job to protect this airspace. But if the Russian side wants to talk, and wants to prevent any future unintentional events like this, we are ready to talk.”
Turkey is a member of the NATO alliance.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told The Associated Press on Sunday that he’s deeply concerned about tensions between Russia and Turkey after Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian warplane on Nov. 24.
Russia on Sept. 30 began airstrikes in Syria that it says are focused on fighters of the Islamic State, but which some observers say target other rebel groups and are aimed at bolstering the forces of President Bashar Assad. Russia insists that the plane that was shot down did not intrude on Turkish airspace.
Davutoglu insisted a violation occurred, and said Turkey had repeatedly warned Russia about incursions into its airspace.
“We also made very clear that the Turkish-Syria border is a national security issue for Turkey. So it was a defensive action,” Davutoglu said. He repeated Turkish assertions that there were no IS fighters in the area.
“We have been telling our Russian friends that their bombardments against civilians on our border is creating new waves of refugees which do not go to Russia or to any other country — but coming to Turkey,” he said.
“And Turkey, after every bombardment, (is) receiving more and more — tens of thousands of refugees from Syria,” Davutoglu added. “Turkey is a country paying the price of this crisis.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called for sanctions against Turkey including bans on some Turkish goods and extensions on work contracts for Turks working in Russia. The measures also call for ending chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for Russian tourism companies to stop selling vacation packages that would include a stay in Turkey.
Peskov said Putin was likely to talk to U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit.
Putin is a proud and strong leader, the guy in the white house is trying to hurt America.
“No Turkish prime minister or president will apologize … because of doing our duty,” “Protection of Turkish airspace, Turkish borders is a national duty, and our army did their job to protect this airspace.” What were the Israeli Defense Forces doing when they stopped the Turkish vessels approaching and threatening Israeli maritime space on their way to Gaza? I can tell you. They were doing their duty protecting Israel; fulfilling their national duty. Oops sorry in that case they were making a violent, unprovoked assault, a bit like the Russians seem to think the Turks did to the Russian plane they shot down.
Hmmmm, Bankioverthemoon is deeply concerned, does this help in any way or shape? Anyway who cares, as long as retaliation will be proportioned then he’ll be a happy man, orcit only applies when israel needs to eliminate the terrorists, ok now you can have a rest,
Hmm so no apology. Well Turkey remember the flotilla and Israel!
You reap what you sow!!!
Turkey requested Israel apologize and now is being asked to apologize. Isn’t this mida k’need mida. Doesn’t anyone see the open hand of G-D here?