Two Turkish pilots who played a role in the downing of a Russian jet in November are in custody over the July 15 failed coup in Turkey, an official said late on June 18.
The downing of the Russian
fighter jet on the Syrian border sparked an unprecedented diplomatic
crisis between Turkey and Russia, which ended last month when the two
countries agreed to restore ties.
“Two pilots who were part of the operation to down the Russian
Su-24 in November 2015 are in custody,” a Turkish official told
journalists, adding that they were detained over links to the coup bid.
When
asked about the issue, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said there were
reports of the pilots being detained but they were yet to be confirmed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 17, describing the attempted coup as unacceptable and voicing hope for a speedy return to stability.
The two men are expected to meet in the first week of August, in their first face-to-face meeting since the rapprochement.
Turkey’s
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said July 18 over 7,500 people have been
detained over the July 15 botched power grab, including 103 generals
and admirals.
The
failed putsch left more than 300 people dead. Erdoğan has accused
U.S.-based scholar Fethullah Gülen and his supporters of being behind
the coup, but Gülen denies any involvement.
