Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country will not ask forgiveness from Russia with regard to the incident involving the Su-24 warplane, the local news channel TRT Haber quoted Erdogan as saying 26 November that Russia itself should ask forgiveness from Turkey.

Erdogan’s comments come in the wake of downing of a Russian Su-24 warplane by Turkish Air Force on 24 November, reported Trend news agency.

Previously, Erdogan also said that Moscow’s aggressive statements against Turkey, after the Su-24 incident, saddened Ankara.

Russia should apologize for violating Turkey’s airspace, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Thursday, days after a Russian jet was shot down near the Syria border.

‘Those who violated our airspace are the ones who need to apologize,’ Erdogan was quoted as saying on the CNN website.

‘Our pilots and our armed forces, they simply fulfilled their duties, which consisted of responding to ... violations of the rules of engagement. I think this is the essence.’

He said Ankara and Moscow are strategic partners, but this doesn’t mean that Russia can disrespect the principles of inviolability of Turkey’s borders.