Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Oct 15 2012
Turkish minister: Syria-Bound Armenian plane landed voluntarily
Trabzon, 15 October: Turkish transport minister has said the pilot of
a Syria-bound Armenian plane that landed Monday in Turkey had grounded
the aircraft voluntarily as Turkish authorities continued searching
the plane's cargo.
"A plane which took off from Armenia had made a 'technical landing'
which means that the pilot requested on his own will a permission to
land," Binali Yildirim told reporters in the northern province of
Trabzon.
Turkish diplomatic sources said Air Armenia Airlines filed last week
on Wednesday a request to use the Turkish airspace, and that Turkey
had granted the Armenian plane the permission only on the condition
that Turkish authorities searched the cargo.
Sources added that the grounding of the plane was a routine procedure
and it complied with the 1944 Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation.
Sources said Armenian officials had declared that the cargo of the
Antonov 12 plane of the Air Armenia Airlines included humanitarian aid
and food stuffs.
"We have barred all Syrian-flagged aircraft to use Turkish airspace.
Our decision is aimed at preventing more civilian casualties in the
civil war in Syria. We will not let our airspace be used for
activities that could lead to the death of civilians," Yildirim said.
Oct 15 2012
Turkish minister: Syria-Bound Armenian plane landed voluntarily
Trabzon, 15 October: Turkish transport minister has said the pilot of
a Syria-bound Armenian plane that landed Monday in Turkey had grounded
the aircraft voluntarily as Turkish authorities continued searching
the plane's cargo.
"A plane which took off from Armenia had made a 'technical landing'
which means that the pilot requested on his own will a permission to
land," Binali Yildirim told reporters in the northern province of
Trabzon.
Turkish diplomatic sources said Air Armenia Airlines filed last week
on Wednesday a request to use the Turkish airspace, and that Turkey
had granted the Armenian plane the permission only on the condition
that Turkish authorities searched the cargo.
Sources added that the grounding of the plane was a routine procedure
and it complied with the 1944 Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation.
Sources said Armenian officials had declared that the cargo of the
Antonov 12 plane of the Air Armenia Airlines included humanitarian aid
and food stuffs.
"We have barred all Syrian-flagged aircraft to use Turkish airspace.
Our decision is aimed at preventing more civilian casualties in the
civil war in Syria. We will not let our airspace be used for
activities that could lead to the death of civilians," Yildirim said.