Turkey arrests pilots who shot down Russian jet near Syria border

PanARMENIAN.Net - The two Turkish pilots who shot down a Russian Su-24 near the Syrian border were taken into custody, Sputnik reports citing a senior Turkish official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It was reported earlier that at least one of the pilots responsible for downing the Russian jet took part in last week's failed coup in Turkey.

The shooting down of the aircraft led to a crisis in relations between Moscow and Ankara. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the incident as a "stab in the back" and imposed a number of restrictive measures against Ankara, repeatedly calling on the Turkish government to apologize and cover any material losses to the pilot's family.

Putin signed a decree last month that lifted sanctions against Turkey, following an apology from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.