After pm Erdogan apology, Russia brings Turkey in from the cold
Outside the Turkish Embassy in Moscow there is a heap of flowers and a hand-coloured paper flag left in sympathy after this week's suicide attack in Istanbul.
The pile is small and the carnations have wilted in the sun, but the gesture reflects a dramatically different mood to last November when hundreds of Russians came here to hurl stones, eggs and insults.
The breakdown in relations came after Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian military plane on the border with Syria. The pilot was killed as he attempted to parachute to safety.
Vladimir Putin lashed out, calling it a stab in the back and state media here echoed his furious tone. The airwaves filled with talk of treachery.
Then came the sanctions: a ban on charter flights to hugely popular Turkish resorts, restrictions on Turkish imports and for firms operating here and the introduction of visas.
In a matter of months, one opinion poll showed Turkey leaping from nowhere to third place among the countries Russians view as their enemy, behind the US and Ukraine.
But that anger is now dissipating as suddenly as it was whipped-up.This week, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally apologised for downing the plane - or that is how Russia is reading his carefully chosen words.
President Putin, who had insisted on that apology, immediately ordered talks on restoring ties.
In what many saw as a battle of wills, it looks like Mr Erdogan blinked first. The political about-turn that followed has been dizzyingly swift.
By Friday, the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers were shaking hands in Sochi. And after months accusing Turkey of collaborating with extremist groups in Syria, Russia now says military and anti-terrorist contacts have been renewed.
Next up, are package holidays. Turkey has long been a key destination for Russians and their sudden disappearance hit the local economy hard. Ankara now says charter flights will resume by 7 July.
Russia's official reason for cancelling flights was security concerns, after Moscow accused Ankara of supporting extremists.
Outside the Turkish Embassy in Moscow there is a heap of flowers and a hand-coloured paper flag left in sympathy after this week's suicide attack in Istanbul.
The pile is small and the carnations have wilted in the sun, but the gesture reflects a dramatically different mood to last November when hundreds of Russians came here to hurl stones, eggs and insults.
The breakdown in relations came after Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian military plane on the border with Syria. The pilot was killed as he attempted to parachute to safety.
Vladimir Putin lashed out, calling it a stab in the back and state media here echoed his furious tone. The airwaves filled with talk of treachery.
Then came the sanctions: a ban on charter flights to hugely popular Turkish resorts, restrictions on Turkish imports and for firms operating here and the introduction of visas.
In a matter of months, one opinion poll showed Turkey leaping from nowhere to third place among the countries Russians view as their enemy, behind the US and Ukraine.
But that anger is now dissipating as suddenly as it was whipped-up.This week, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally apologised for downing the plane - or that is how Russia is reading his carefully chosen words.
President Putin, who had insisted on that apology, immediately ordered talks on restoring ties.
In what many saw as a battle of wills, it looks like Mr Erdogan blinked first. The political about-turn that followed has been dizzyingly swift.
By Friday, the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers were shaking hands in Sochi. And after months accusing Turkey of collaborating with extremist groups in Syria, Russia now says military and anti-terrorist contacts have been renewed.
Next up, are package holidays. Turkey has long been a key destination for Russians and their sudden disappearance hit the local economy hard. Ankara now says charter flights will resume by 7 July.
Russia's official reason for cancelling flights was security concerns, after Moscow accused Ankara of supporting extremists.
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