Turkey will not apologise: PM

Turkey will not apologise for downing a Russian fighter jet on the Syrian border but Moscow should reconsider retaliatory sanctions, Turkish premier Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday as he held talks at Nato headquarters.

"Protection of our airspace, our border is not only a right but a duty for my government and no Turkish premier or president ... will apologise (for) doing our duty," Davutoglu told a joint press conference with Nato head Jens Stoltenberg.

Davutoglu added that "we hope Russia will reconsider these measures in both our interests", referring to the sanctions that Moscow imposed after the shooting down of the jet last week.

"If the Russian side wants to talk, we are ready; if they want more information, we are ready; if they want to normalise relations, we are ready to talk," he said.

Meanwhile, Turkey yesterday sent back to Russia the body of a pilot killed when his plane was shot down by the Turkish air force for allegedly violating its air space on the Syrian border, reports said.