A group of Turkish businessmen have reportedly been detained in the Russian city of Krasnodar for "making false statements about their trip to the country," Turkey's Hurriyet News is reporting.
The report comes amid soaring tensions between Turkey and Russia following the downing of a Russian Su-24 jet near the Syrian border two days ago.
The businessmen are thought to be part of a delegation attending an International Agricultural Fair on November 25 and are believed to have been brought before a judge early this morning. The businessmen are set to be deported, the report says.
Turkey has "no reason to target Russia with whom we have strong relations," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, according to Turkey's Hurriyet News.
Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 warplane near the Syrian border two days ago.
Erdogan said the "nationality of the plane was unknown at the time of the incident."
The Turkish president also responded to allegations by Russia's Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, who said Turkey was buying oil from IS. Erdogan said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was buying the oil from IS, and accused Russia of not fighting IS but of targeting the "moderate opposition."
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called Turkey's downing of an Su-24 jet an "act of aggression," TASS reports.
"This, obviously, was an act of aggression against our state from Turkey, our neighbor, and also a member of NATO. Military and diplomatic responses to this crime have already occurred and will go on," Medvedev said, adding that there will also be economic measures taken.
AP is reporting that there have been fresh air strikes in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, citing reports by two groups that track the war -- the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and the Syrian pro-opposition Local Coordination Committees.
The strikes reportedly hit the highway linking the strategic border town of Azaz with the Bab al-Salameh border crossing with Turkey.
SOHR is saying that the air strikes were Russian.
There were air strikes on Azaz yesterday as well, which according to purported footage from the scene hit a convoy of trucks, which activists say were carrying aid.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova says it is essential to "focus strength on stopping terror financing by IS's ongoing oil trade."
This is in part a dig at Turkey. Russia has accused Ankara of having financial interests in oil trade with IS.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has moved on to talking about the fight against IS.
Zakharova says that the UN Security Council on November 20 passed resolution 2249 that condemned the IS group.
"We regard Resolution 2249 as a political appeal, that does not change the legal principles of the anti-terrorism war."
In scathing comments, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova slams NATO's reaction to the downing of the Su-24 jet by Turkey, saying the alliance has "given a license to commit any illegal actions under the guise of its infamous solidiarity."
"We hope that the NATO leadership will consider the risks and negative consequences of such a shortsighted and purely opportunistic policy."
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says that Russia's Armed Forces General Staff has given the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) information about the incident in which a Russian Su-24 jet was downed on November 24.
The CSTO is an intergovernmental military alliance that includes Russia and six other post-Soviet states.
The Foreign Ministry has tweeted comments by its spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova:
"CSTO partners were shown maps, radar data showing that the Su-24 was downed over Syrian territory"
"Members of the CSTO declared that such actions are inadmissible and expressed the opinion that they could negatively impact the war on terror."
Zakharova added that:
-- The Russian air force takes "great care in selecting targets for air strikes."
-- "However, Ankara cares not about the fate of civilians but about those whose faces could be seen yesterday on images shared in the media."
"One cannot take as civilians those armed cutthroats who were gloating over the body of he shot Russian pilot."
Turkey's president has rejected Russian allegations that his country purchases oil products from the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
In a speech to local officials in Ankara on November 26, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on those who claim otherwise to "prove it," adding that they are "slanderers."
Erdogan called such claims "shameful" and noted that Russia was the largest supplier of energy to Turkey.
Erdogan insisted that his country is fighting actively against IS and noted that Turkey has detained "thousands" of suspected IS militants in recent years.
He defended his country's actions in shooting down a Russian warplane along the Turkey-Syria border on November 24, saying it had been "an automatic response" in accordance with known rules of engagement.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was awaiting a Turkish apology for the incident and an offer of compensation. (AP, AFP, TASS, Reuters)