Turkish army bans staff from taking holidays in Russian Federation

The Russian Defense Ministry says one of its warships was forced to fire warning shots to avoid a collision with a Turkish ship in the Aegean Sea.

According to an explanation made by Russian Defence Minister, the battleship “Smetlivy” detected the fishing boat at Lemnos island offshores.

After the Russian “guard ship” Smetlivy fired warning shots, the Turkish ship changed course, passing within 540m.

“In particular, our deep concerns about more Turkish provocations towards the Russian destroyer Smetlivy were conveyed”.

To prevent a collision, “small arms were fired in the direction of the Turkish vessel from a range that is not lethal”.

Following the incident, a military attache at Turkish embassy in Moscow has been urgently summoned to the Russian Defense Ministry by Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov.

The incident, which took place on Sun. morning, is more likely to heighten tensions between the 2 nations who’re critically at odds over Syria & the Turkish shooting down of a Russian military jet last month.

The Turkish Air Force’s F-16 fighter on November 24 shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M bomber, involved in Russia’s antiterrorism operation in Syria, that Ankara claims violated the country’s airspace on the border with Syria. Russia, denying the claim, maintained that its jet had remained in Syrian airspace.

“Earlier this month, Turkey complained to Russia after a Russian sailor was allegedly photographed holding a rocket launcher as his ship passed through Istanbul”.

She said the incident will leave its mark on relations in the future, unless the Turkish administration realizes its responsibility and delivers an apology.

Tensions between the two countries have been high since as Russian President Vladimir Putin approved series of sanctions and response measures against Turkey.