Putin orders economic sanctions against Turkey after downing of Russian plane

Turkey maintains that the Su-24 fighter jet had flown into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings to leave, and says it would not have shot it down if it had known it was Russian. “I hope something like this doesn’t happen again”, he said according to the AP.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is expected to sign a government decree specifying the economic measures in the next few days.

“Russia is important for Turkey as much as Turkey is important for Russian Federation”.

In a televised speech, Mr Erdogan said he wanted to meet Mr Putin “face-to-face” at climate talks in Paris to resolve the issue.

The decision to tamp down Turkish travel to Russia comes after “residents have been having some difficulties with their trips to the Russian Federation and their residence within the said country as of November 24”, the ministry said in a statement Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called it an “automatic reaction” to standing instructions given to the military. He said it was easily identifiable and its co-ordinates had been passed on to Turkey’s ally, the US.

It is thought to be the first downing of a Russian plane by a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member in more than half a century.

Addressing his supporters in the western city of Balikesir, Erdogan warned that neither country should allow the situation to escalate and take a destructive form that would have “dire consequences in the future”.

Russia on Saturday imposed de facto economic sanctions on Turkey, including suspension of a visa waiver program, in retaliation for the recent downing of a Russian bomber by Turkish forces. France has stepped up it aerial bombing campaign of ISIS targets in Syria since the group claimed responsibility for attacks in Paris. The pilot was machine-gunned dead by rebels on the ground in Syria as he parachuted down.

Mr Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said on Friday that the Kremlin had received Mr Erdogan’s request for a meeting, but wouldn’t say whether such a meeting is possible.

This, as Turkey levels it owns accusations at Moscow over the Syria crisis.

Mr Erdogan added that he had warned Mr Putin of the risks of Russian planes intruding into Turkey’s airspace earlier this month. The two countries are on opposite sides in the Syrian civil war.