Turkey, Russia recover lost time due to jet crisis: Turkish PM

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has met his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev during his visit to the Russian capital, Moscow, as part of the normalization between the two countries.

"I am very pleased to meet Medvedev. As you see, Russia and Turkey ended the unpleasant process when two countries were strained," said Turkish PM Yıldırım, referring to the crisis following the downing of a Russian jet that violated the airspace of Turkey.

"We will improve our relations and make it better than it was during the jet crisis. We will make up for the time we lost," Turkish PM vowed.

The Turkish PM also highlighted the significance of the improvement of bilateral relations for providing peace in the region and the fight against terrorism.

"Turkey and Russia have very important responsibilities. I hope the new period will be more effective for both of the countries and the region," he said. "We will also realize the planned projects in this time period. We will fasten our efforts on economy, investment and culture projects," he added.

Russia's Medvedev also said that Russia and Turkey will have better relations, soon.

The Turkish premier was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak.

Also, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, Energy Minister Aleksandar Novak and the Director of the Russian Federal Military-Technical Service Aleksandar Fomin attended the meeting.

The PM's visit is another important milestone for Turkey-Russia relations after Turkish President Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in the St. Petersburg province of Russia in August 2016, which initiated the thawing of chilly bilateral relations.

The Turkish President's visit was a milestone to restore ties between the two powerful nations in the region, after an 8-month-long row over a Russian jet downed by Turkish military near the Syrian border last year.