Russia’s Foreign Ministry views the letter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with apologies for the shoot down of the Russian bomber in November 2015 as a step in a right direction to normalize bilateral ties

Russia’s Foreign Ministry views the letter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with apologies for the shoot down of the Russian bomber in November 2015 as a step in a right direction to normalize bilateral ties, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov told TASS on June 28.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter of condolences to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin June 27 over the death of Russian SU-24 pilot.

Erdogan said that Turkey "shares the pain of downed Su-24 pilot's death with his family" and "sees it as Turkey's pain".

Turkey is ready to take all steps required to "relieve the pain and severity of damage" to the deceased Su-24 pilot's family, Erdogan writes in his letter to the Russian president.

"In the letter, the Turkish president also says he has always seen Russia as a strategic partner and a friend", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.