MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia is one of the most important trade partners for Turkey and friendly bilateral relations boost both trade and regional security, Turkish Trade and Customs Minister Bulent Tufenkci told Sputnik Wednesday.
"Russia is our neighbor, one of the largest and most important trading partners of Turkey. Maintaining friendly relations at a high level plays an important role not only for the development of trade between our countries, but also in ensuring stability in the region," Tufenkci said.
After Turkey’s F-16 fighter jet downed the Russian Su-24 combat plane on an anti-terror mission over Syria in November 2015, Moscow imposed a number of restrictive measures on Turkey in response Ankara'a refusal to take responsibility for downing the plane and to cover the material losses to the country and the family of the pilot killed in the incident. A thaw in relations between Moscow and Ankara began in June following Turkey's apology to Russia.
