Killed Pilot Body To Be Flown To Russia

“The pilot who lost his life during the air violation was received by us on the (Syrian) border last night,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters in Istanbul before leaving for a meeting with EU leaders in Brussels.

Lt Col Oleg Peshkov's coffin was flown to the capital from southern Turkey. It is not yet clear when the body will be repatriated to Russia.

Turkey has flown the body of the Russian pilot killed after his plane was downed on the Syrian border to Ankara, to be met by Russian diplomats.

Turkish forces shot down the plane saying it had violated Turkish airspace, which Russia denies.

The incident has sparked a furious row between the two countries.

Russia announced sanctions against Turkey.

Rebels from Syria's ethnic Turkmen community opened fire on Lt Col Peshkov and his co-pilot as they tried to parachute into government-held territory on Tuesday.

The rebels said he had died by the time he reached the ground.

Earlier on Sunday, Lt Col Peshkov's body was received by Turkish authorities at Hatay airport on the Syrian border. A Turkish honour guard carried the coffin on to an air force plane for the flight to Ankara.