Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and former President Abdullah Gul (R) pray during a funeral ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, June 24, 2016. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
ANKARA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed deep sadness over the downing of a Russian jet in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Turkish presidential spokesman said on Monday.
"I once again share suffering with the family of the Russian pilot who lost his life, and would like to offer my condolence. I want to tell them I'm sorry," Ibrahim Kalin quoted Erdogan as saying in the letter.
According to the spokesperson, Turkey and Russia have agreed to take necessary steps as soon as possible to improve bilateral relations.
Erdogan recently said both sides should work together to better their relations, expressing concern at how ties had been sacrificed over what he described as a "pilot error."
Around June 12, the National Day of Russia, Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim sent greetings to Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has accepted Moscow's invitation to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation meeting scheduled for July 1 in Sochi, Russia.
Also on Monday, Turkish government spokesperson Numan Kurtulmus told the media that there are increasing signs that bilateral tension between Turkey and Russia is softening.
"We are observing some signs of a softening of the relationship following letters sent to the Russian authorities from our president and prime minister," Kurtulmus told a press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting in Ankara.
Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet along its border with Syria on Nov. 24, 2015, over alleged airspace violations, prompting a series of sanctions from the Russian side.
