Vladimir Putin

The crisis between Turkey and Russia has been brought under control, as expected. Yet the unexpected also happened: Their relations seem to be rising from their ashes, leading to even more intense coordination. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin made implications against the United States during his joint press conference with French President Francois Hollande. Specifically, he accused the US of leaking plans of the Russian bomber to its Turkish allies.

Sergei Gavrilov, an MP from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) urged Turkey to return the Hagia Sophia Cathedral to the Orthodox Christian Church. He said that in this way Ankara would demonstrate that good will is above politics. “We expect the Turkish side to show a goodwill gesture and return Hagia Sophia Cathedral to the Christian Church,” he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Russia will suspend its visa-free regime with Turkey from the beginning of next year.

"This is directly linked with the security of Russia and our citizens," TASS quoted Lavrov as saying following a meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Moscow.

France's foreign minister said on Nov. 27 that troops loyal to Bashar al-Assad could be used to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) , but only in the framework of a political transition without the Syrian President, as France and Russia has agreed to coordinate strikes against ISIL. 

Russia said on Nov. 27 it would suspend its visa-free regime for Turkish nationals from Jan. 1 as it retaliates against Ankara for the downing of a Russian warplane.

The tension between Turkey and Russia after the downing of the Russian jet by Turkey is escalating with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying to Russia to stop playing with the fire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to contact Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an 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 Erdo?an. 

Russia’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced today that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan requested a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris on November 30.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has requested a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Paris on Nov. 30, the Kremlin has said, although sources in Ankara stated no date has been set yet.