The Kremlin has said that the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has apologised over the downing of a Russian jet last year that ruined the countries’ relations and highlighted the grave dangers of rising regional tensions over the war in Syria.

Erdoğan expressed regret to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, over the incident, insisting that Turkey “never had the desire or deliberate intention of shooting down the Russian federation’s plane” and was ready to do everything possible to restore friendly ties, according to a Kremlin statement on Monday.



“I once again express my sympathy and profound condolences to the family of the Russian pilot who was killed and I apologise to them,” Erdoğan reportedly wrote to Putin.

Last November, Turkish jets shot down a Russian bomber that Ankara said had crossed over from Syria, although Russia denied its plane had entered Turkish airspace. One of the two-man crew was killed by ground fire after parachuting out, and a Russian marine was killed in the ensuing rescue mission.

Ankara had argued that the Russian plane strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings, but Russia insisted it did not cross the border and accused Turkey of a “planned provocation”.

The countries are on opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, with Ankara backing rebels fighting to topple Bashar al-Assad, while Moscow is one of his last remaining allies.

Turkey’s Anadolu state news agency reported that presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Erdoğan had written to Putin to “express his regrets” about the downing of the warplane, but he did not explicitly confirm Erdoğan had apologised over the incident. “We are pleased to announce that Turkey and Russia have agreed to take necessary steps without delay to improve bilateral relations,” Kalin said.

According to the Kremlin, Erdoğan also said in his message that the authorities were probing a Turkish national allegedly responsible for the downing of the jet.

Turkey’s Hürriyet newspaper reported that on Monday a court released Alparslan Çelik, a Turk fighting in Syria who Russia suspects of killing the pilot as he parachuted to the ground, but said weapons charges against him had not been dropped.

The incident sparked animosity with Turkey. Russian state television ran negative reports about ancient invasions by Turkic peoples, while protesters attacked the Turkish embassy in Moscow. Russia also suspended flights to Turkey, a popular destination for Russian tourists, and even banned Turkish food imports.

Konstantin Kosachyov, who heads the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, said Russia would also expect a change in Turkish policy in Syria and Iraq. Moscow has accused Ankara of supporting Islamic State and in December even claimed Erdoğan was personally involved in reselling Isis oil.

Turkey has called for the overthrow of Assad since the uprising began in 2011. Along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar it backs Islamist rebel groups fighting him but it denies links with Isis. Still, Russian and Iranian support has bolstered the Syrian leader, while Kurdish militia fighters have benefited from US backing as they fight Isis, bolstering their position adjacent to the Turkish border.

Mikhail Yemelyanov, deputy chairman of the economic policy committee in the Russian lower house of parliament, said flights to Turkey could be quickly restored “if the Turks really did reconsider their position, apologised and are prepared for compensation”.

Alexander Shokin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, said: “A beautiful life won’t start immediately, but step by step, as understanding is achieved over different questions, I think relations will be restored over the course of a few years.”



Moscow and Ankara remain fiercely at odds over the makeup of the Syrian opposition delegation to the stalled Geneva peace talks, as Russia presses hard for Syrian Kurdish participation, which is anathema to the Turks.



The move came as Turkey also announced the restoration of its diplomatic relations with Israel, which were downgraded amid a furious standoff in 2010 when Israeli soldiers killed 10 Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, part of a “freedom flotilla” sailing to Gaza.

Turkey originally demanded an apology and compensation and later added an end to Israel’s blockade of the border strip, which is ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas. It secured the first two and agreement by Israel to allow aid into Gaza, but delivered via the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Turkey’s prime minister, Binali Yıldırım, said the blockade has been “largely lifted”. But Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, insisted that the “defensive maritime blockade,” intended to stop arms smuggling, remains in place.

This deal is a face-saver for both sides: economic advantages for Israel in the form of future gas exports via Turkey, the lessening of isolation for Turkey as well as an easing of the harsh humanitarian conditions for 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza.



Shortly after taking office last month Yıldırım said Turkey needed to “increase its friends and decrease its enemies”, in what appeared to be an admission that his predecessor’s policies had left the Nato member sidelined.

The agreement with Israel is likely to trigger the delivery of missile defence systems and armed drones that Turkey has been seeking for some time. In 1949, Turkey became the first Muslim country to recognise Israel.

