Turkey doesn’t want tensions in its relationship with Russia as they affect the neighboring regions as well as world peace, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said.

Turkey and Bulgaria are neighbours and allies, that’s why relations with Russia closely concern our countries, Davutoglu said at a joint news conference in Sofia with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on Tuesday, according to focus-news.net.

Davutoglu, who arrived on a working visit to Bulgaria earlier in the day, reiterated Ankara’s position that the recent heightening of tensions in relations with Moscow over the downing of a Russian warplane by a Turkish Air Force fighter jet had been prompted by Turkey’s desire to protect the security of its border and defend its airspace.

He also repeated Ankara’s claim that Turkey didn’t know which country the warplane belonged to at the time of shooting.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara have deteriorated considerably after the downing of a Russian Su-24 bomber in the border region between Syria and Turkey on November 24. While Ankara claims that the Russian plane had violated Turkish airspace and ignored warnings to change course, Moscow says that no warnings had been issued and their plane had not intruded into Turkish airspace but was flying over Syrian territory.

"We are ready to discuss and share information. The relations between Turkey and Russia are very important for the Black Sea region, as well as for Bulgaria, Georgia,”  Davutoglu said. “I hope that Turkey and Russia will renew their traditional cooperation".

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