No chance of normal Moscow-Ankara ties in near future: Russia

The Russian Foreign Ministry says Ankara's current hostile stance toward Moscow makes it impossible to normalize sour relations between Russia and Turkey in the near future.

The ministry made the prediction in a review of the Russian foreign policy and diplomatic activity in 2015 published on Tuesday, Russia’s RIA news agency reported.

"The anti-Russian stance taken on by the Turkish leadership does not allow to expect the normalization of bilateral relations in the foreseeable future," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russia’s relations with Turkey strained in November 2015 after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24M Fencer aircraft with two pilots aboard, claiming the fighter jet had repeatedly violated the Turkish airspace.

Moscow, however, dismissed Ankara’s claims, saying that the plane was brought down in Syrian airspace, where Russia has been conducting combat sorties against Takfiri terrorists since late September 2015 upon a request by the Damascus government.

Following the incident, Moscow imposed a number of sanctions on Ankara, including import restriction on Turkish foods, a ban on tourist travel to Turkey, an embargo on hiring Turkish citizens in Russia and a ban on Turkish organizations' activities in Russia.

Turkey and Russia have also taken different positions regarding the crisis in Syria, with each of them backing opposite sides to the deadly conflict gripping the Arab country.

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