Putin refuses contacts with Erdoğan as Turkey not ready to apologise: Kremlin aide

MOSCOW - Reuters

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to contact Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan because Ankara does not want to apologise for the downing of a Russian warplane, Yuri Ushakov, Putin's aide, said on Nov. 27.

"We see Turkey's unwillingness to simply apologise for the incident with the plane," Ushakov told reporters when asked why Putin has refused to talk with Erdoğan. 

Ushakov said the Kremlin had received a request from Ankara regarding a possible meeting between the two leaders at a climate conference in Paris on Nov. 30 and that Putin would be informed about it later on Nov. 27. 

In Paris, Putin will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the Syrian crisis and Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He will also meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks about Syria and Ukraine, Ushakov said.