Turkey says it has Russian warplane pilot’s body

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday expressed regret over Turkey’s downing of a Russian jet, saying his country “wished it hadn’t happened”, ABC News is reporting.

“I welcome Turkish efforts to establish contacts with Russian Federation to de-escalate…it is important to stay calm”, Stoltenberg said.

“The recent events really saddened us”, Erdogan said in a televised speech in the western city of Baliksehir. Erdogan said earlier on Saturday it could be a chance to fix relations with Moscow.

However, Mr Erdogan’s friendly overture came after he again vigorously defended Turkey’s action and criticised Russian Federation for its operations in Syria. Some of the measures announced have already been informally introduced.

Russian Federation on Thursday said it was drafting a wide-ranging list of economic sanctions against Turkey that would hit food imports and joint investment projects among other things. At the same timed, Erdogan said he has tried in vain to speak by phone to Putin to discuss the situation.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member Turkey blasted the Russian jet out of the sky after claiming it crossed into its airspace but Putin has furiously denied that and demanded an apology.

It has sparked sanctions between both countries, decimating trade deals and restricting travel between the two nations. Turkey targeted the Russian jet Tuesday as Moscow was bombing a rebel group fighting against Assad with Turkish support.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, on Saturday said the Russian leader was aware of Erdogan’s request for a meeting, but gave no indication about whether it might take place.

Turkey’s president has told supporters that he was saddened by the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish forces, the Associated Press writes. Moscow has ruled out any military response, but has pledged broad measures targeting entire sectors of the Turkish economy including tourism, agriculture and possibly key energy projects.

The Russian Defense Ministry says the Su-24M was flying over the Syrian territory and there was now intrusion in Turkish airspace.

The package of measures bans the import of some goods from Turkey, prohibits employers from hiring Turkish nationals beginning next year, and suspends visa-free travel for Turkish citizens, the Interfax news agency reported.

“Russia is quite concerned with increasing terrorist threats in the Republic of Turkey”, Lavrov added, after a spate of bloody attacks blamed on IS extremists there.

As Russia turns the screw on Turkey with strict economic sanctions, the country’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed the body of the lieutenant colonel Oleg Peshkov had been brought to Turkey late on Saturday.