Alparslan Celik, the suspected killer of Russia’s Su-24 bomber pilot, may be handed over to Moscow under the Russian-Turkish agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Cases and Extradition, Russian Deputy Justice Minister Maxim Travnikov said.

"In theory, yes," Travnikov said when asked if Celik could be extradited to Russia.

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has ratified an agreement between Russia and Turkey on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Cases and Extradition.

The document was signed in Ankara on December 1, 2014.

Under the agreement, the sides are committed to providing legal assistance to each other during an investigation, prosecution or other legal proceedings, and also to mutually extradite individuals located on the territory of one another’s countries for criminal prosecution or executing a sentence by the requesting country for extraditable offences. These crimes include those that are punishable by imprisonment of no less than a year or a more of severe punishment.

Over the past two years, Russia and Turkey have sent 12 and 11 extradition requests to each other, respectively, Russian deputy justice minister said. Turkey’s authorities have made only one decision on the extradition requests, while the other 11 remain unanswered, he said. "We hope that the agreement will help us make progress on this matter."

Turkey has still not ratified the agreement. Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for Foreign Affairs Leonid Slutsky said, "We hope that the Turkish parliament will respond proportionally and will carry out this ratification." There are no obstacles here and all the issues are of a technical character," he added.

The suspects in the downing of Russia’s Su-24 bomber aircraft in November 2015 may be subject to the agreement and may be handed over to Moscow, Travnikov said.

"At the same time, the treaty includes certain provisions that create obstacles for extradition on some grounds. In particular, if there are grounds to believe that these persons may be persecuted due to political or other considerations," he said.