Erdogan: “prove it”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during a mukhtars meeting at the presidential palace on November 26, 2015 in Ankara. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on November 26 said Turkey does not buy any oil from Islamic State, insisting that his country's fight against the jihadist group is "undisputed". AFP PHOTO/ADEM ALTAN / AFP / ADEM ALTAN

Turkey has challenged Russia to prove the claim that Turkey shot down a Russian war plane in order to protect turkish oil trade with Islamic State (IS).

“If you allege something you should prove it,” says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He was responding to the statement made by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in which he says that Turkey downed the jet in order to protect the trade the country is doing with the IS oil.

A Turkish F-16 fighter was shot down on the Syrian border on 24 November and while Turkey says the plane entered its airspace and was warned to leave, the Russian side says the plane was not in turkish air space.

One Russian pilot was killed and the other rescued after Russia’s Su-24 bomber was shot down by a Turkish F-16 fighter on the Syrian border on 24 November.

A Russian marine was killed during the rescue operation in north-western Syria.