Recep Tayyip Erdogan's letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin comes seven months after the incident, which has triggered a slew of Russian sanctions that have dealt a severe blow to the Turkish economy. "I believe that we will leave behind this current situation which is to the detriment of both countries and rapidly normalize our relations," Erdogan said. The Kremlin quoted the Turkish leader as offering his condolences to the killed pilot's family and saying: "I'm sorry." Putin had denounced the downing of the Russian warplane at the Syrian border on Nov. 24 as a "treacherous stab in the back." "We are pleased to announce that Turkey and Russia have agreed to take necessary steps without delay to improve bilateral relations," Erdogan spokesman Kalin said.

Source: ABC News June 27, 2016 13:17 UTC