Turkey to Discuss Compensation to Murdered Russian Pilot Family on Request

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that Ankara is ready to discuss compensation to the family of the murdered Russian pilot Oleg Peshkov.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkish authorities are ready to discuss compensation to the family of the murdered Russian pilot Oleg Peshkov in case they receive such a request, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Tuesday.

"If we would receive a request from the deceased pilot's family then the question might be discussed," Kalin said as quoted by Hurriyet newspaper.

On Monday, the Kremlin's press office published a statement in which it announced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin to apologize for the November 2015 downing of a Russian Su-24 in Syria by a Turkish plane.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated after the Su-24 downing. The jet was carrying out anti-terrorist operations in Syria. The crew of the plane ejected and one of the pilots, Peshkov, was killed by ground fire, while the second pilot survived. Following the incident, Moscow imposed a number of restrictive measures on Ankara, including a food ban, as well as a ban on charter flights in both directions and advised local tour operators to refrain from working with the Turkish side.