Armed security guards to be deployed in planes in Turkey
ISTANBUL
Armed security guards will be deployed in planes flying to and from Turkey as a precaution against terror attacks, according to law that was recently passed by the Turkish Parliament, daily Habertürk has reported.
After receiving special training, the guards will be deployed in flights identified as particularly risky, as part of a joint initiative of civil aviation companies.
According to the draft law, the guards who will serve in planes will be personnel of the Interior Ministry, including police officers, rather than personnel from private security companies.
They will sit in seats toward the back of the plane and their identity will not be clear as they will be dressed in civilian clothes. Their outfits will also not reveal whether the guard is carrying a gun.
At least one security guard will be employed on flights deemed particularly risky.
The Interior Ministry will allow the presence of armed security guards in foreign civil aviation flights to Turkey, provided that the reciprocity principle is reserved.
Sources told Habertürk that the new regulations take into account the criteria and rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
“There are specific international ICAO regulations on these issues and the new arrangement in Turkey has been drafted accordingly,” they said.
