(MENAFN- Arab News) ISTANBUL: Turkey summoned Russia's ambassador to Ankara over images of a Russian serviceman brandishing a rocket launcher as his warship navigated through Turkish waters a Foreign Ministry official said.
Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov was summoned to the Foreign Ministry headquarters over the images published by the Turkish media on Sunday the official told AFP the latest escalation of tensions following Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane last month.
Turkey's private NTV channel broadcast pictures of what it said was a Russian serviceman aboard the 'Caesar Kunikov' with a rocket launcher on his shoulder in the firing position as it passed through the Bosphorus Strait.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday has called on Russia to end 'provocative acts' and said that Turkey had already taken the necessary steps in response to the incident without giving further details.
'The ship's passage in such a way was clearly a provocation. This has to come to an end' Cavusoglu told Kanal 24 television. 'I hope it is an isolated incident it is not a right approach' he said calling on Russia to act as a 'more mature state.'
NTV reported that the vessel from the Russian navy's Black Sea fleet passed through the Bosphorus on Sunday. However other media said the incident occurred on Friday.
Meanwhile Turkey said on Monday it would not withdraw hundreds of soldiers who arrived last week at a base in northern Iraq despite being ordered by Baghdad to pull them out within 48 hours.
The sudden arrival of such a large and heavily armed Turkish contingent in a camp near the frontline in northern Iraq has added yet another controversial deployment to a war against Daesh.