Kremlin: Russia interested in resuming relations with Turkey

Russia would like to resume relations with Turkey but Ankara should act first, Dmitri Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said on Wednesday.

Peskov told reporters in Moscow: “We also want to resume relations with Turkey and return to cooperation to achieve mutual interests, but as Putin clearly said earlier, the first steps should come from Ankara.”

He made the remarks regarding Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s message of congratulations to Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Russia’s National Day.

Peskov expressed regret for the deterioration of relations between Russia and Turkey. He said: “Moscow attaches importance to the time when relations with Turkey were at the highest level.”

Russia has asked Turkey to apologize for shooting down a Russian fighter jet late last year, to pay compensation and punish those responsible for the attack as first steps to resume relations between the two countries.