Kremlin: only Ankara's steps can resolve problems in Russia-Turkey ties

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday no working group will ever be able to resolve the problem in Russia-Turkey relations, because only the Turkish leadership can do that, TASS reported. 

He was speaking in the wake of the Turkish Foreign Ministry's proposal for creating a joint working group together with Russia in order to identify ways of normalizing relations between the two countries.

"No working group will manage to resolve the problem. Only the Turkish leadership can do that. Moscow is waiting for its actions President Vladimir Putin mentioned in Athens," he said.

Earlier, Putin stated that Moscow was waiting for Ankara to take specific steps, adding that "so far we have heard no apologies or readiness to compensate for the damage."

Bilateral relations saw a sharp worsening after Turkish warplanes on November 24, 2015 shot down Russia's Sukhoi-24 bomber. Ankara claims the Russian plane briefly strayed into Turkey's airspace, while the Russian Defense Ministry said the plane had remained over Syria all the time and there was no violation of Turkey's airspace.

Source ; MENA