‘Putin has not returned my call’, Turkey's Erdogan tells FRANCE 24

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an exclusive interview Thursday with -FRANCE 24-, said his country “does not want tensions with Russia” after Turkish planes downed a Russian fighter near the Syrian border.

Erdogan, speaking to -FRANCE 24-’s Marc Perelman in the Turkish capital, Ankara, struck a conciliatory tone but declined to apologise for Tuesday's incident, which has further heightened tensions in the conflict-ridden region.

• He restated Turkey’s stance that the Russian plane “ignored repeated warnings over five minutes” to leave Turkish airspace and had failed to identify itself.

“Had we known it was a Russian plane we may have acted differently,” he said. “But our pilots know the rules of engagement and have to do their duty to protect Turkish airspace”.

The Turkish leader said he had personally told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a G20 meeting to end Russian incursions into Turkey’s airspace, warning that such incidents were likely to occur.

He added: “No sovereign state can be expected to give up its right to protect [its airspace]”.......http://www.france24.com/en/20151126-exclusive-interview-erdogan-turkey-russian-putin-jet-syria-islamic-state
26/11/15
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Related:

• Turkey would have acted differently if it had known jet was Russian (Erdogan)

• Putin on Su-24 Downing: Ally Delivered Treacherous Stab in the Back 

• "L’avion russe a été abattu suite à un ordre venu d'en haut"..

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• Russia accuses Turkey of ‘planned provocation’ in downing jet

• Russia FM points to gross violation of Syria flight safety memorandum

• Russia will not tolerate such crimes as attack against its Sukhoi-24 plane (Putin)

• Η συνέχεια της κατάρριψης. Δεν θα έχουμε ανάγκη να περιμένουμε πολύ καιρό για να δούμε πρακτικές επιπτώσεις

• Turkey shoots down Russian fighter jet: Devious strike

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