Istanbul: A man suspected of killing a Russian air force pilot after his plane was shot down by a Turkish jet near the Syrian border last November is being prosecuted, a Turkish official said on Monday.
Alparslan Celik, who was fighting with a Turkish-backed Turkmen brigade opposing government forces in northern Syria at the time, was detained at the end of March in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir on unrelated charges, but a court decided in May there was insufficient evidence against him.
Celik's prosecution was long demanded by Moscow. The Kremlin said earlier that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had apologised in a letter to Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the downing of the jet.
Alparslan Celik, who was fighting with a Turkish-backed Turkmen brigade opposing government forces in northern Syria at the time, was detained at the end of March in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir on unrelated charges, but a court decided in May there was insufficient evidence against him.
Celik's prosecution was long demanded by Moscow. The Kremlin said earlier that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had apologised in a letter to Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the downing of the jet.
© Thomson Reuters 2016
COMMENTS
Advertisement
"Spirit Of United Nations Dead In Gaza": Turkey's Erdogan After Deadly Israeli Strikes Turkey's Erdogan Meets Hamas Chief In Istanbul, Israel Reacts In Blow For Erdogan, Turkey Opposition Secures Victory In Key Local Elections Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Recalled To Academy, Training Put On Hold Under-Fire Trainee IAS Officer Accuses Pune Collector Of Harassment "No Defamatory Remarks Against Governor": High Court To Mamata Banerjee Government Announces Partial Rollback Of Fee Hike In 13 Medical Colleges US Expresses "Great Concern" Over Pak's Decision To Ban Imran Khan's Party Digital Attendance Of Teachers Suspended Till Further Orders In UP Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.