Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree for sanctions against Turkey on Saturday, days after a Russian warplane was shot down in Turkey. Turkish Presdient Tayyip Erdogan expressed regret over the warplane incident earlier on Saturday, saying:
“We are truly saddened by this incident,” Erdogan said. “We wish it hadn’t happened as such, but unfortunately such a thing has happened. I hope that something like this doesn’t occur again.”
However, Putin wasn’t moved by Erdogan’s regret, instead he put an end to chartered flights from Russia to Turkey, a ban on some goods and bars extensions of labor contracts for Turks working in Russia,he didn’t specify what goods are to be banned or give other details and a ban on Russian tourist companiesโ vacation packages that include a stay in Turkey.
Putin’s decree also calls for ending visa-free travel between Russia and Turkey and orders the tightening of control over Turkish air carriers in Russia “for security reasons.” The decree was issued “to protect Russian citizens from crimes,” a Kremlin statement said.
Putin calls what Turkey did as a stab in the back.
Meanwhile, addressing supporters in the western city of Balikesir, Erdogan said neither country should allow the incident to escalate and take a destructive form that would lead to “saddening consequences.”
He renewed a call for a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a climate conference in Paris next week, saying it would be an opportunity to overcome tensions.
Erdogan’s friendly overture however, came after he again vigorously defended Turkey’s action and criticized Russia for its operations in Syria.
“If we allow our sovereign rights to be violated … then the territory would no longer be our territory,” Erdogan said.
On Saturday Turkey issued a travel warning urging its nationals to delay non-urgent and unnecessary travel to Russia, saying Turkish travelers were facing “problems” in the country. It said Turks should delay travel plans until “the situation becomes clear.”
