MADRID (AP) — Spain's ambassador to the United Kingdom has resigned amid increasing calls for him to be sacked over his handling of 75 deaths in a 2003 crash of a military jet.

Ambassador Federico Trillo announced his resignation on Thursday, saying he doesn*t want to interfere with the government's work.

Trillo was chosen for the London job by the government of Mariano Rajoy in 2012. He was Spain's defense minister when a Yak-42 aircraft crashed in Northeast Turkey, killing 62 Spanish soldiers returning from a mission in Afghanistan and 13 crew members from Ukraine and Belarus.

Rajoy's cabinet has acknowledged a high-level report that recently blamed Trillo's ministry for not ensuring the safety of troops in air transportation.