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As Turkey apologizes, Russia sets sanctions

ANKARA, Turkey - Russian President Vladimir V. Putin on Saturday called for sanctions against Ankara after Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane last week.

ANKARA, Turkey - Russian President Vladimir V. Putin on Saturday called for sanctions against Ankara after Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane last week.

The decree published on the Kremlin's website Saturday came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had voiced regret over the incident, saying his country was "truly saddened" by the event.

Putin's decree includes a ban on some goods and forbids extensions of labor contracts for Turks working in Russia as of Jan. 1. It doesn't specify what goods are to be banned or give other details, but it also calls for ending chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for Russian tourism companies to stop selling vacation packages that would include a stay in Turkey.

The decree also calls for ending visa-free travel between Russia and Turkey and orders the tightening of control over Turkish air carriers in Russia "for security reasons."

Erdogan's expression of regret was the first since Tuesday's incident in which F-16 jets shot down the Russian jet on grounds that it had violated Turkey's airspace despite repeated warnings. It was the first time in half a century that a NATO member shot down a Russian plane.

"We are truly saddened by this incident," Erdogan said. "We wish it hadn't happened as such, but unfortunately such a thing has happened. I hope that something like this doesn't occur again."

He renewed a call for a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a climate conference in Paris this week.

Erdogan's overture, however, came after he again vigorously defended Turkey's action and criticized Russia for its operations in Syria.

"If we allow our sovereign rights to be violated . . . then the territory would no longer be our territory," Erdogan said.

Putin has denounced the Turkish action as a "treacherous stab in the back" and has insisted the plane was downed over Syrian territory in violation of international law. He has refused to take telephone calls from Erdogan.

On Saturday, Turkey issued a travel warning urging its nationals to delay nonurgent and unnecessary travel to Russia, saying Turkish travelers were facing "problems" in the country. It said Turks should delay travel plans until "the situation becomes clear."