Turkish President says ‘sorry’ for downing of Russian jet

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for the restoration of traditional friendly ties. Erdogan’s chief foreign policy adviser, İbrahim Kalin, said Erdogan had written “I am sorry” in the letter. “I would like to express my sympathy and deep condolences to the family of the Russian pilot who died. I am saying to his family: ‘I’m sorry,” Kalin said Erdogan wrote.

Kalin also highlighted that Erdogan had called for the restoration of traditional friendly ties and expressed readiness to tackle security challenges in the region and fight terrorism together.