The body of the pilot killed when Turkey shot down a Russian jet was taken to Turkey late on Saturday to be handed over to Russia, the Turkish prime minister said.
The body was being treated in accordance with the Orthodox tradition, Ahmet Davutoğlu told a news conference in Ankara on Sunday before going to Brussels for a meeting with EU leaders on migration.
He did not say how the body of the dead pilot, who Russia has identified as Lt Col Oleg Peshkov, was delivered to Hatay in southern Turkey. But he said Russia’s military attache was going there on Sunday as part of procedures to recover the remains.
Relations between Turkey and Russia have sharply deteriorated since Tuesday’s incident, with Russia imposing economic sanctions and revoking a visa-free agreement, while Turkey has sought to cool tensions, seeing the Paris climate change talks that start this week as a chance to mend ties.
Davutoğlu said that with different coalitions operating in Syria with differing objectives, similar incidents to that of the downing of the Russian jet could happen unless there was information sharing and coordination.
The US along with other allies, including Turkey, as well as Russia are carrying out air campaigns against Islamic State and other groups.
Russia and Turkey have accused each other of aiding Islamic State, but both say they are battling the militants who have taken swaths of land in Iraq and Syria.
However, Russia sides with the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, and has been accused by the west of using its bombing campaign to help him instead of targeting Isis.
Turkey meanwhile wants Assad gone and has been supporting rebels fighting him.
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