2 Dec 2015 12:17

No threat of war with Russia - Turkish Ambassador to Georgia

TBILISI. Dec 2 (Interfax) - There is no threat of conflict escalation even though tensions flare between Ankara and Moscow, Turkish Ambassador to Tbilisi Levent Gumrukcu has said.

"There is no threat of war. There was an incident recently but I do not think that this stage will last for long. Turkey is doing its utmost to de-escalate the crisis. This is sad but we did what we had to do because Turkish airspace was violated. We tried to get in touch with our Russian colleagues after the incident and we continue to do so. I think there is a need for dialogue which will clarify everything," he told reporters.

Ankara "keeps on trying" to establish direct contacts with Moscow in order to de-escalate tensions, he said.