MOSCOW, November 26 (Sputnik) — Neither Ankara, nor Moscow would benefit from rapture of bilateral relations, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told Sputnik Turkey on Thursday.
"I am convinced that Turkey and Russia, as neighbors and strategic partners, which have close economic ties and a high level of trade cooperation, will take all necessary steps for the fastest settlement of the problem and for the normalization of bilateral relations. Neither Turkey, nor Russia will abandon dialogue and cooperation, since it does not correspond with the long-term interests of both countries," Kurtulmus said.
He added that "the incident at the border" had heightened tensions between Ankara and Moscow but expressed certainty that it would be left behind through diplomatic means.
Ankara claimed it downed the Russian plane because it had violated Turkish airspace. Both the Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command confirmed that the Su-24 was downed in Syrian airspace and never crossed into Turkey, in accordance with precise objective control data.
One of the two Su-24 pilots was killed by fire from the ground after ejecting from the plane and a Russian naval infantry soldier was killed during a rescue operation.
Earlier in the day, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev instructed the country's government to work out response measures against Turkey after Tuesday's downing of a Russian military jets.
