On December, 27, Turkey’s mainstream Hürriyet daily published an interview with Chelik, a Turkish citizen who is currently a deputy commander in a Syrian Turkmen Brigade.
Chelik spoke about the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber by a Turkish F-16 fighter in November, admitting to having shot the pilot and adding that the Turkmens retaliated for alleged bombings of their positions.
Zakharova said it is “surprising and outrageous” that Hurriyet, a major Turkish newspaper, had given floor to Chelik, who she defined as “murderer and terrorist.” She said in this way Chelik found an opportunity to “disseminate nationalist ideology that is filled with hatred towards Russia and the Russian people.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry also demanded Turkey to assess actions and statements of its citizen who confessed to an international crime – murdering a foreign pilot.
“It is high time that Ankara explains its official position regarding the participation of its citizens in hostilities on the side of extremist illegal armed groups operating in a neighboring country. Or will Turkey prefer to turn a blind eye to this issue as well?” Zakharova said.
The Russian pilot, who managed to eject himself from the Russian Su-24 jet near the Turkish border in Syria on Nov. 24 after having been hit by a Turkish F-16, was reportedly killed by gunfire from Turkmen rebels in Syria, whom the Russian jets were bombing.
It is believed that his body was handed over to Turkey by Turkmen rebels who openly support rebel groups other than radical ones that have been fighting against the Syrian government.
“The Russian pilot was handed over to us at our border [with Syria] at 1:45 a.m. this morning,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters on Nov. 29.
The remains of the Russian pilot was sent to Moscow from Ankara after an official and a religious funeral ceremony on Nov. 30.
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