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West, Turkey fear escalation with Russia: Analyst

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ©AP

Press TV has interviewed Edward Lozansky, president of the American University in Moscow, to ask for his view on the Kremlin’s economic sanctions against Turkey after Ankara shot down Moscow’s military jet during an anti-terror mission over Syrian skies.

Lozansky emphasizes the impact of Russia’s retaliatory economic measures against Turkey, saying Moscow’s bans will cost Ankara tens of billions of dollars.

He says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has refused to offer an apology for the incident, has already toned down the rhetoric against Russia by saying he “regrets” the shooting down of Moscow’s fighter jet.

The change in Erdogan’s stance came after the US and NATO urged Ankara to soothe the tensions and avoid more “escalation” with Moscow over the incident, the analyst believes.

Posters showing a portrait of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and reading “Wanted,” “Erdogan, Turkey,” are left after a protest at the Turkish Embassy in Moscow, Russia, November 25, 2015. ©AP

The commentator says the Western states are not willing to engage in further tensions in the Middle East region as they are already entangled in the so-called anti-Daesh military campaign they have launched in Iraq and Syria.

Lozansky slams the Turkish government for supporting the Takfiri terrorist groups in Syria through buying oil from terrorist-captured areas and sending weapons to Daesh.

He says Ankara must apologize for downing the Russian jet, urging the Turkish government to act in accordance with the international law and pay damages to the families of the killed Russia pilot aboard the jet, as well as the marine who lost his life in a failed rescue operation following the crash.


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