Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at the Kremlin in Moscow on September 23, 2015. In the wake of Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane this week, Erdogan is seeking another meeting, the Kremlin said Friday. (Ivan Sekretarev/Reuters)
Reuters: Turkey's Erdogan warns Russia not to 'play with fire'
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan warned Russia not to "play with fire" on Friday, but added he did not want to harm relations with Moscow, comments that look more likely to inflame than quell the dispute over a downed Russian bomber this week.
Relations between the former Cold War antagonists are at their worst in recent memory after Turkey shot down the jet near the Syrian border on Monday. Russia has threatened economic retaliation against Ankara, which Erdogan has dismissed as "emotional" and "unfitting".
"We very sincerely recommend to Russia not to play with fire," Erdogan told supporters during a speech in Bayburt, in northeast Turkey. "We really attach a lot of importance to our relations with Russia... We don't want these relations to suffer harm in any way."
Update: Turkey Warns Russia Not To 'Play With Fire' (SKY News)
WNU Editor: According to the Russian government, Turkish Presdient Erdogan requested to meet Russian president Putin hours after the plane was shot down .... Russia Claims Turkey's Erdogan Requested To Meet Vladimir Putin Hours After Downing Su-24 Jet (IBTimes). More here .... Turkey’s Erdogan seeks Paris meeting with Putin (CNBC). No confirmation yet from Ankara, but we do know that Turkish President Erdogan did call Putin after the downing of the plane, but the call was ignored .... ‘Putin has not returned my call’, Turkey's Erdogan tells FRANCE 24 (France 24). My prediction .... after what happened Russia will ignore Turkey's overtures and focus more on its priorities in Syria while treating Turkey as a hostile power.
Update: This is not surprising .... Putin Rejects Overtures from Erdogan Over Downed Jet Fighter (WSJ).
Erdogan is scared.
ReplyDeleteHe needs to be.
ReplyDeleteHow many times have Russia and the Turks been at war?
ReplyDeleteDoes Erdogan not know that France and Britain went to war with Russia to save Turkey.
The USA might have Erdogan's back, but look at the CINC backing up Obama.
We can change leadership via the vote or impeachment and all the promises to Erdogan will be for naught.