Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin that Turkey regrets shooting down a Russian warplane last November.

Moscow says the apology has opened the way for Russia to lift economic sanctions on Turkey. The move comes as a new Turkish government -- packed with Erdogan allies -- re-evaluates Turkey's foreign policy. Relations are strained between Turkey and a number of its closest allies, including: Russia, Israel, the United States and the European Union.