MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was willing to resume relations with Ankara despite last year's downing of the Russian Su-24 jet over Syria, but called on Turkey to act first to mend ties.
"Putin said he was expecting us to take a step. We are suggesting to create a joint working group where future steps will be discussed," Cavusoglu told reporters as quoted by the Milliyet newspaper.
Russian-Turkish relations deteriorated after the downing of a Russian military plane by a Turkish fighter jet in Syria on November 24, 2015. Moscow imposed a number of restrictive measures on Turkey in response to what Russian President Vladimir Putin classified as a "stab in the back."
Russia's retaliatory measures against Ankara include, in particular, restrictions on the activities of Turkish organizations in Russia, an embargo on Russian employers hiring Turkish citizens and a ban on certain food imports since January 1, 2016.
