ANKARA (Sputnik) — On Monday, the Kremlin's press office published a statement saying that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin saying he was interested in resolving the conflict triggered by the 2015 Turkish downing of a Russian jet in Syria and offering condolences to the family of the killed pilot.
"The letter's content is clear. We expressed our regret and we will pay the compensation [for the downed jet] if it is necessary. Both countries are seeking to normalize the relations. To my mind, we have reached some progress," Yildirim told the TRT television broadcaster.