Russian Nationals In Turkey Urged To Return Home Following Downed Fighter Jet

Since the plane was shot down Tuesday in disputed circumstances on the Syria-Turkey border, Russian Federation has already restricted tourism, left Turkish trucks stranded at the border and announced the confiscation of large quantities of Turkish food imports. “Those who violated our airspace are the ones who need to apologize”.

On Wednesday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Turkey’s actions could result in the scrapping of joint projects and that Turkish companies could lose Russian market share.

“There even wasn’t a threat of entering Turkey”.

Erdogan also said that Russian Federation was Turkey’s biggest energy supplier, followed by Iran.

Turkey said the Russian jet was shot down after ignoring repeated warnings for penetrating into Turkish airspace.

However, Russia denies Ankara’s claims, maintaining that the jet was downed inside Syria, where Russia has been carrying out operations against the Takfiri Daesh terrorists since September 30, following a request by the Damascus government.

Russian forces are reportedly unleashing a wave of air strikes on mountains near where the plane was shot down.

One of the pilots from the downed Su-24 was rescued by the Syrian Army Tuesday morning.

It also said fighter jets would now escort its bombers during airstrikes over Syria.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, urged Russian tourists to avoid Turkey due to “safety concerns”. Turkey is part of that coalition and they had to know it was the Russian airforce working in that area.

Another official, the deputy head of Russia’s agricultural standards agency, Nikolai Vlasov, was more direct, telling Interfax the measures were needed to prevent “enemy tricks” from the Turkish side.

The pilot was speaking at an press conference at the Russian Hemeimeem air base in Syria following his rescue. The United States and other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members, including Turkey, have promised to defend member countries against foreign attacks as if those attacks were made on their home soil.

There has been no official announcement from the Russian authorities regarding changes in border entry rules for Turkish citizens.