PUTIN POURS FRESH SCORN ON TURKEY

Russian President Vladimir Putin has used crude language in a furious new attack on Turkey over the downing of a Russian combat jet last month. 

The incident on the Syria-Turkey border was a "hostile act" but Russia was "not the country" to run away, he told his annual news conference.

He saw "no prospect" of ties improving with Turkey, which Russia has put under sanctions, under its current leaders.

"The Turks", he said, had "decided to lick the Americans in a certain place".

Russia deployed its air force to Syria in September in support of President Bashar al-Assad and has been carrying out air strikes on his opponents.

Its intervention has been heavily criticised by Turkey, the US and Gulf Arab states.

Mr Putin is now into his third term as president since 2000, battling an economic crisis. Critics say civil liberties have been steadily eroded under his rule.

He remains one of the world's most recognisable politicians, and has topped the list of The World's Most Powerful People compiled by Forbes magazine for the third year running.

Mr Putin said Turkish officials should have picked up the phone to talk to Russia about their concerns that air strikes in Syria were hitting Turkmen rebels.

Turkey, he said, had achieved nothing by shooting down the jet while Russia had bolstered its presence in Syria by deploying anti-aircraft missiles.