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Russian FM: Turkey obliged to apologize and compensate for losses

31 May 2016 13:38 (UTC +04:00)

Saying that Russians are extending an "olive branch of peace" to Turkey (as some mass media said - TASS) would be fundamentally wrong.

"On the basis of this mistake conclusions begin to be made how these actions are to be assessed," Lavrov said.

"We’ve never said we are extending an olive branch of peace to Turkey. Why should we?" Lavrov said. "We say that Turkey is obliged to apologize and compensate for the losses that were incurred by that criminal act, by that war crime."

Lavrov recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin, when asked if Turkey was taking any steps (towards normalizing relations - TASS), replied in the affirmative, saying that Ankara was trying "to approach through different channels."

"He said that we are prepared to consider such messages, but first Turkey must do what it should," Lavrov said.

Note that relations between the two countries worsened sharply after Turkish warplanes on 24 November 2015 downed a Russian Sukhoi-24 bomber for violating the country’s airspace.