Putin: Russia “backstabbed by terrorist accomplices”

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said his country will not apologize for shooting down a Russian fighter jet that allegedly violated Turkish airspace”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described Turkey’s hostile act, that killed two Russian military personnel, as a “stab in the back”, administered by “the accomplices of terrorists”.

The possibility of an armed confrontation between Turkey and Russia continued to heighten after the Russian government beefed up its military assets at a Syrian base just a few miles from the Turkish border.

He said he regretted the fact that relations between Turkey and Russian Federation have been driven into a stalemate.

Tensions have soared between Moscow and Ankara following the downing of the Russian jet on the Syrian border on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Su-24 was shot down by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet near the Turkish-Syrian border.

In the recording, one voice in English is heard saying: “You are approaching Turkish airspace, change your heading”.

The Russian defense ministry also said it had cut off all cooperation with the Turkish military.

The crew ejected and one pilot was shot dead by rebels as he parachuted to the ground.

It came several weeks after planes had violated Turkish airspace and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation warnings.

Russian Federation launched its air campaign against IS targets in Syria late September at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which the Kremlin said have significantly diminished the combat capability of the terrorist group. “I don’t know who needed what was done today, but we didn’t in any case”, Putin said during a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Sochi.

Economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev said Moscow could put limits on flights to and from Turkey, halt preparations for a joint free trade zone, and restrict high-profile projects including the TurkStream gas pipeline and a $20bn nuclear power plant Russian Federation is building in Turkey.

“This is only natural in the light of Turkey’s unpredictable actions”, Peskov said. 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.

Among issues that have led to the scrapping of business and energy deals and a chill in ties have been Russia’s bombing of Turkmen rebels in Syria, who are openly supported by Turkey.