Putin lifts Turkey restrictions after Erdogan call  

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday lifted restrictions on travel to Turkey after mending ties with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seven months after Ankara downed a Russian jet, triggering a raft of sanctions.

Following his first call with Erdogan since the incident, Putin announced that Moscow´s ban on charter flights and package tours to Turkey would be lifted and that government would also look at ending an embargo on some Turkish food products.

"I want to start with the question of tourism... we are lifting the administrative restrictions in this area," Putin told government ministers in televised comments.

"I ask that the Russian government begin the process of normalising general trade and economic ties with Turkey," he said.

The move came as Turkey was hit by a triple suicide bombing at Istanbul´s main international airport on Tuesday which left 41 people dead , including 13 foreigners.

The assault, at the start of Turkey´s crucial tourist season, was the latest in a wave of attacks in Istanbul and the capital Ankara blamed either on Daesh or Kurdish rebels.

The attack was a further blow to an industry that was already battered by Russia´s sanctions.

Apart from banning charter flights to Turkey, Russia also prohibited sales of package tours to the country and suspended visas for Turkish visitors.

The diplomatic breakthrough with Russia was forged in a phone call by Putin to Erdogan after the Turkish strongman on Monday sent a letter to the Kremlin leader that Moscow said contained an apology over the downed fighter jet.