Turkey ‘will not compensate’ Russia for shooting down fighter

The Turkish foreign ministry revealed on Wednesday that Ankara has no plans to compensate Moscow for shooting down a Russian air force fighter aircraft last month.

Making the announcement, ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgiç insisted that Russia should not breach Turkish air space again. His remarks were made in response to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov, who said that Turkey should guarantee that such an incident does not occur in the future.

On 24 November, two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on patrol intercepted a Russian aircraft and dealt with the incursion after following normal engagement protocols. The incident was described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “stab in the back” by Turkey.