Turkish President, Recep Yayyip Erdogan, sent a letter to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, apologizing for the tragic death of a Russian pilot who was killed when his Su-24 bomber was shot down by Turkish fighter jets.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Erdogan expressed – in his letter – readiness to restore normal relations with Russia.

“The head of the Turkish state expressed his deep sympathy and condolences to the relatives of the deceased Russian pilot and said ‘sorry,’” Peskov said.

Calling Russia a “friend and strategic partner to Ankara“, Erdogan ruled out any “desire or deliberate intention to down an aircraft belonging to Russia“.

The President of Turkey expressed sympathy and deep condolences to the family of the killed Russian #Su24 pilot — President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) June 27, 2016

On November 24, 2015, a Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M bomber aircraft near the Syria–Turkey border while on combat mission against rebel positions.