Turkish PM calls for ‘economic cooperation’ with Russia instead of embargoes

BAKU

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Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has made a call to Russia for “economic cooperation” instead of imposing “economic embargoes,” in the latest move to ease tensions over the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey late last month.“Nobody will benefit from mutual embargos,” Davutoğlu said, while speaking in a conference in Baku.After Turkey rejected imposing sanctions against Russia as the international community was urging for an embargo, Russian officials thanked Ankara for Turkey’s stance, he said.As a country that was unhappy when other countries imposed sanctions on them, Russia should not do the same, Davutoğlu stated.The prime minister stressed Ankara does not favor a policy of tension with Moscow.Countries that conduct aerial campaigns in Syria should coordinate their activities and not target moderate opposition including Turkmens, as they are the groups providing major resistance against the Islamic State and the Levant (ISIL), the prime minister stated.“We have presented concrete proposals to Russia which are still valid,” he said.Ties between Ankara and Moscow soured after a Russian SU-24 bomber was shot down by a Turkish F-16 along the Syrian-Turkish border, allegedly for violating Turkish airspace.The intruding aircraft was reportedly warned about the violation 10 times within five minutes before it was shot down, according to the Turkish military.The Russian plane crashed in northern Syria and a crew commander, Oleg Peshkov, was killed by Turkmen groups while descending with a parachute.Moscow protested Ankara and promised serious consequences to Russian-Turkish relations, including economic sanctions. Putin called the destruction of the plane “a stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists.”