Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said that the Turkish military attaché in Moscow was warned harshly after the Russian destroyer was forced to fire warning shots using small arms in the direction of the Turkish boat, to avoid being rammed by it.
According to Antonov, Ahmet Gunes, representative of the Turkish Armed Forces was warned about the possible harmful consequences of reckless acts against Russian servicemen fighting international terrorism in Syria.
The day before, at 0903 hours (Moscow time) the sea men standing guard detected a Turkish boat about one thousand meters approaching the Smetliviy, which was anchored, according to the press service of the Defense Ministry.
Multiple attempts were made to contact the fishing boat through the channels of communication, in addition to warning lights and flares, which proved unsuccessful, and the Turkish boat was 600 meters away from the destroyer, said Moscow.
In these circumstances, the crew of the Russian vessel, anchored 22 kilometers from the Greek island of Lemnos, in the northern Aegean Sea, opened small arms fire as a warning, as per reports.
Only then did the Turkish boat change course, continued sailing about 540 meters from the ship without contacting the warship.
Relations between Moscow and Ankara turned tense since a Russian Su-24 fighter bomber was shot down by a Turkish F-16 on last November 24th.
With videos, satellite photos and documents, Russia denounced before more than 100 journalists and military attaches the complicity of Turkey in the oil smuggling with the ISIL and other terrorist groups, as well as its logistical support and arms supplies to these forces.
The Kremlin responded with economic sanctions, reinforced the air defense of its troops in Syria, and ordered to act decisively against any threat.
Backed by the United States and NATO, the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, did not even apologize for the deaths of two Russian airmen after the Su-24 was downed, and has since maintained a hostile and provocative stance against Russia.
Ankara officially announced on Sunday the prohibition to Turkish officers to travel to Russia on holidays.
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PL-9/MNA
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