Turkey won’t ‘allow’ misuse of its airspace

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

‘Turkey can’t allow the use of its airspace for war purposes,’ Yıldırım says. DHA photo

Transportation Minister Binalı Yıldırm stressed the righteousness of Turkey’s actions in its interception of a Syrian passenger plane on its way from Moscow to Damascus Oct. 10, which Turkey claims was carrying military equipment and ammunition to Syria.

The examination of the equipment and ammunition confiscated from the Syrian passenger plane was still continuing, Yıldırım said Oct.12 in response to reporters’ questions. According to civil aviation rules as well as according to Turkey’s national regulations and international rules, passenger planes that are used for civilian flights cannot carry military materials, and in order to carry such material they must obtain permission to do so in a timely manner, Yıldırım said.

Ministry denies claims

“The Republic of Turkey cannot allow this and overlook the use of Turkish airspace for purposes of war,” Yıldırım said.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry denied reports suggesting that arms were being delivered to Syrian rebels via Turkey.

“The claims in today’s press, which refer to foreign media outlets that suggest that weapons support was provided by some countries to the Syrian opposition via Turkey, have no connection with reality,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Selçuk Ünal said briefly, in response to a journalist’s question.