Turkey's new energy minister said Tuesday that he was not pessimist on energy relations with Russia following Turkey's downing of a Russian jet, which violated Turkish airspace.
'We have long history of friendship, commercial, economic and cultural relations with Russia. Considering how much the short term and regional incidents will effect the long term relations, I am not pessimistic in terms of energy,' Berat Albayrak, the newly appointed minister, said, in the handover ceremony.
Earlier on Tuesday, two Turkish F-16 jets brought down a Russian Su-24 warplane after its violation of Turkey's airspace near the Syrian border.
Russian warplanes previously violated Turkish airspace twice in October. The incidents came within a few days of the start of Russia’s air campaign in Syria on Sept. 30 and led to international condemnation.
Turkey purchases 27 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually, which accounts for over 60 percent of its total demand.
By Furkan Naci Top
Anadolu Agency
furkan.top@aa.com.tr