Body of downed Russian bomber pilot arrives Ankara
The body of Lt Col Oleg Peshkov, the pilot of the SU-24M
bomber downed by the Turkish Air Force in Syrian airspace on November 24 has
been delivered to Ankara, the NTV channel said.
A military plane of the Turkish Air Force landed at the
Etimesgut Air Base near Ankara. Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov and diplomats
from the Russian embassy came to the base to take part in the handover of the
pilot’s body to the Russian side, reports Tass.
"The date and time of delivery of the pilot to Russia
will be specified later," Igor Mityakov, the press attache of the Russian
Embassy said.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporter on
Sunday morning the Turkish side had received the body or the Russian pilot and
preparing it for the handover procedures.
"The body of the Russian pilot who died in the border
violation incident has been handed over to us," he said. "Overnight
to Sunday, the appropriate religious rituals were performed with the assistance
from the Orthodox Christian priests based in the Hatay province."
"At Russia’s request, the body will be handed to the
Russian side," Davutoglu said.
An F-16 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force brought the
Su-24M bomber down in the morning of Tuesday, November 24. Turkish defence
officials claimed the Russian crew had intruded into Turkish airspace in the
area of the Syrian-Turkish land-surface border.
The Russian Defense Ministry says the Su-24M was flying over
the Syrian territory and there was now intrusion in Turkish airspace.
The crew - Lt Col Oleg Peshkov and Capt Konstantin Murakhtin
managed to eject themselves from the aircraft but Lt Col Peshkov was killed in
midair by gunfire opened by militants from among the ethnic Turkomans.
Capt Murakhtin was rescued and taken to the Russian airbase
at Humeymin, Latakia province.
The search and rescue operation involved two Mi-8
helicopters. One of them was damaged by gunfire and made a forced landing. A
contract marine serviceman died in the incident while the rest of the search
party was evacuated to a safe place.
The damaged helicopter was destroyed later by mortar fire
from a land area controlled by militants.
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