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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Oct 16 2012
US supports Turkish decision to ban Syrian planes from airspace
16 October 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL
The US has expressed its support of Turkey in its decision to close
its airspace to Syrian flights in the wake of Turkey's grounding of a
Syrian jet in Ankara on suspicions of carrying military equipment from
Moscow to Syria.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland has said the US
`certainly supports the decision that Turkey has made in light of the
apparent violation of their airspace by this aircraft.'
Turkey has banned all Syrian aircraft from its airspace in recent
days. Last week, Ankara forced down a Syrian airliner en route from
Moscow, accusing it of carrying Russian munitions for Bashar
al-Assad's military, while earlier in October Syrian shells struck a
border town in Turkey killing five civilians.
On Monday, Turkey grounded an Armenian plane flying to the Syrian city
of Aleppo in order to inspect its cargo. The plane was allowed to
continue on its way after a search, conducted in the eastern city of
Erzurum, confirmed that it was carrying humanitarian aid as stated by
Armenian officials.
However, the inspection of the first plane traveling from Moscow
resulted in the discovery of Russian-made military communication
equipment intended for Syria's Ministry of Defense.
Russia has stated that the plane was carrying legal cargo comprising
radar parts and not weapons for the Syrian regime, although Turkey
insists the opposite is true.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an has once again stated that the
cargo found on board the Syrian plane traveling from Moscow was
military munitions, as photos of the munitions confirm this fact.
`There is no meaning in falsifying the fact that they were radar
parts. Radar parts also function as weapons. Nevertheless, our
institutions are continuing their efforts to further inspect the
cargo. However, we will not go into much detail yet and will announce
the results of the inspections after they are completed. We have
photos in our hands. It is definite that the cargo comprises war
material. The sender and receiver [of the cargo] are obvious,' ErdoÄ?an
said before departing to Baku to take part in the EcoSummit 2012.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has also said last week's
forced landing of the Syrian plane by Turkish jets will not affect
Turkish-Russian relations, as Turkey's actions were based on rights
stemming from the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation,
also known as the Chicago Convention.
However, he noted that the owner of the cargo may request for it to be
returned. The plane returned to Moscow on Oct. 12 but the cargo
remains in Ankara.
EU governments also tightened sanctions against Syria, expressing
their concerns over the spillover of the Syrian crisis to Turkey, and
called on Damascus and Ankara to prevent any further escalation of the
conflict.
The EU denied Syrian airlines access to its airports, bolstering a ban
on cargo flights to Europe.
Twenty-eight Syrians were recently added to an EU list of frozen
assets and travel bans, bringing the total number of people facing
such sanctions to 181.
Oct 16 2012
US supports Turkish decision to ban Syrian planes from airspace
16 October 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL
The US has expressed its support of Turkey in its decision to close
its airspace to Syrian flights in the wake of Turkey's grounding of a
Syrian jet in Ankara on suspicions of carrying military equipment from
Moscow to Syria.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland has said the US
`certainly supports the decision that Turkey has made in light of the
apparent violation of their airspace by this aircraft.'
Turkey has banned all Syrian aircraft from its airspace in recent
days. Last week, Ankara forced down a Syrian airliner en route from
Moscow, accusing it of carrying Russian munitions for Bashar
al-Assad's military, while earlier in October Syrian shells struck a
border town in Turkey killing five civilians.
On Monday, Turkey grounded an Armenian plane flying to the Syrian city
of Aleppo in order to inspect its cargo. The plane was allowed to
continue on its way after a search, conducted in the eastern city of
Erzurum, confirmed that it was carrying humanitarian aid as stated by
Armenian officials.
However, the inspection of the first plane traveling from Moscow
resulted in the discovery of Russian-made military communication
equipment intended for Syria's Ministry of Defense.
Russia has stated that the plane was carrying legal cargo comprising
radar parts and not weapons for the Syrian regime, although Turkey
insists the opposite is true.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an has once again stated that the
cargo found on board the Syrian plane traveling from Moscow was
military munitions, as photos of the munitions confirm this fact.
`There is no meaning in falsifying the fact that they were radar
parts. Radar parts also function as weapons. Nevertheless, our
institutions are continuing their efforts to further inspect the
cargo. However, we will not go into much detail yet and will announce
the results of the inspections after they are completed. We have
photos in our hands. It is definite that the cargo comprises war
material. The sender and receiver [of the cargo] are obvious,' ErdoÄ?an
said before departing to Baku to take part in the EcoSummit 2012.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has also said last week's
forced landing of the Syrian plane by Turkish jets will not affect
Turkish-Russian relations, as Turkey's actions were based on rights
stemming from the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation,
also known as the Chicago Convention.
However, he noted that the owner of the cargo may request for it to be
returned. The plane returned to Moscow on Oct. 12 but the cargo
remains in Ankara.
EU governments also tightened sanctions against Syria, expressing
their concerns over the spillover of the Syrian crisis to Turkey, and
called on Damascus and Ankara to prevent any further escalation of the
conflict.
The EU denied Syrian airlines access to its airports, bolstering a ban
on cargo flights to Europe.
Twenty-eight Syrians were recently added to an EU list of frozen
assets and travel bans, bringing the total number of people facing
such sanctions to 181.