ISTANBUL: The Turkish foreign ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador over images of a Russian serviceman brandishing a rocket launcher as his warship navigated through Turkish waters.

Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov was summoned to the foreign ministry headquarters over the images published by Turkish media on Sunday, the sources said, 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 has called on Russia to end “provocative acts” and said that Turkey had already taken the necessary steps in response to the incident.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2015