By Katya Golubkova

MOSCOW, Dec 13 (Reuters) – Russia on Sunday warned Turkey to cease staging what it known as provocations towards its forces in or close to Syria after considered one of its warships fired warning photographs at a Turkish vessel within the Aegean to keep away from a collision.

The Russian Defence Ministry mentioned considered one of its warships, the destroyer Smetlivy, had been compelled to fireplace the warning photographs on Sunday morning and that it had summoned the Turkish army attache over the incident.

“The Turkish military diplomat was given a tough explanation about the potentially disastrous consequences from Ankara’s reckless actions towards Russia’s military contingent fighting against international terrorism in Syria,” the Defence Ministry mentioned in an announcement.

“In particular, our deep concerns about more Turkish provocations towards the Russian destroyer Smetlivy were conveyed.”

Earlier on Sunday, the ministry mentioned that the Turkish fishing vessel failed to answer Smetlivy’s warnings and altered course sharply solely after photographs had been fired earlier than passing inside simply over 500 metres of the warship.

“Only by luck was tragedy avoided,” the ministry mentioned.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was in Rome for talks on Libya, mentioned Ankara was investigating the matter and would make an announcement as soon as it had extra data.

He additionally reiterated Turkey’s place that it wished to resolve its difficulties with Russia. “We want to solve the tension with dialogue,” he mentioned, in feedback broadcast by TRT Turk.

The incident is prone to heighten tensions between the 2 nations who’re significantly at odds over Syria and the Turkish capturing down of a Russian army jet final month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who known as the downing of the airplane a “stab in the back”, has since imposed financial sanctions on Turkey as a retaliatory measure.

Earlier this month, Turkey complained to Russia over an incident during which a Russian sailor was pictured brandishing a rocket launcher on the deck of a naval ship passing by Istanbul. (Additional reporting by Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Raissa Kasolowsky)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015.

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