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Political hothead and Russian colonel Vladimir Zhirinovsky called for president Vladimir Putin to wipe out Turkish capital Istanbul, killing nine million people.

Turkey's decision to down a SU-24 fighter jet after it entered their aerospace was branded "stupid" by Zhirinovsky.

"A nuclear attack can destroy Istanbul very easily. Just one nuclear bomb in the Istanbul Strait will wash the city away," he told Moscow Speaking Radio.

This comes as Putin today called for sanctions against Turkey in a move is bound to inflame tensions.

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"It would be such a terrible flood, the water would rise to between 10m and 15m and the city would [flood].

"And then there are nine million lives."

The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia leader also called Turkey "enemy number one".

Zhirinovsky's chilling words come as Turkish president Recep Erdogan warned Putin not to "play with fire".

Fears are now growing the world is on the cusp on another world war.

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Erdogan said he wanted to meet Putin to resolve the ongoing war of words.

But Putin wants an apology from Turkey before he will enter talks.

He said it was "impossible" for Turkey not to have known it was shooting at a Russian plane.

"It's got an insignia, you can see that very clearly," Putin added.