Turkey recalibrates, expresses condolences over Russian pilot after Moscow publicizes ISIL oil link

Special to WorldTribune.com

Turkey on Dec. 3 offered its “condolences” for the Russian pilot shot down by Turkish F-16s.

“We expressed our sadness and expressed our condolences for the Russian pilot who lost his life,” Turkish media quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying after his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Belgrade, the first high-level talks between Moscow and Anakara since the Russian Su-24 was shot down on Nov. 24.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, and Sergei Lavrov
Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, and Sergei Lavrov

The meeting and Cavusoglu’s comments, however, seem to have done little to ease tensions between the two countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin added fuel to the fire when he accused Turkey of importing oil from areas controlled by Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), which Turkey has vehemently denied.

Related: Russia displays satellite images of tanker trucks entering Turkey, Dec. 2.

“We met with Mr. Cavusoglu… We did not hear anything new. The Turkish minister confirmed the positions which they have already voiced. We confirmed our views,” Lavrov said after the Dec. 3 meeting. Russia is continuing to demand a full apology from Turkey over the Su-24 incident.

Cavusoglu gave no indication of a breakthrough: “It would not be realistic to say that the problems have been overcome in a first meeting.”

“We gave our response to the claims that have been raised,” Cavusoglu said, referring to Putin’s oil allegations. “Our hope is that they will give up their baseless claims.”

In his annual state of the nation speech on Dec. 3, Putin said that Turkey’s leadership would be made to regret the downing of Moscow’s warplane.

“We will not forget this complicity with terrorists. We always considered and will always consider treachery to be the ultimate and lowest act. Let those in Turkey who shot our pilots in the back know this.”

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