Will Turkey go to war with Syria? These Istanbul residents are divided | GlobalPost @SuzannaKoster http://glpo.st/RzMBZE
6:15 PM - 11 Oct 12 · Details
Syrian jet was carrying Russian-made ammunition, says Turkey's PM
Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says a Syrian Air passenger jet grounded by Turkish warplanes was illegally carrying Russian-made defense supplies.
News DeskOctober 11, 2012 12:14
Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says a Syrian Air passenger jet grounded by Turkish warplanes was illegally carrying Russian-made defense supplies.
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A Syrian passenger plane is seen after it was forced to land at Ankara airport on October 10, 2012. A Syrian passenger plane was forced to land in Ankara on Wednesday evening on suspicions that it was carrying weapons, Anatolia news agency reported citing officials. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)
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The Syrian passenger jet intercepted by Turkey was carrying Russian-made defense supplies, according to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan told the press that a search of the Syrian Air plane had revealed "equipment and ammunition that were being sent from a Russian agency [...] to the Syrian Defense Ministry," the Associated Press reported.
He said that the material had been confiscated and was being examined. Necessary action would follow, he said.
Suzanna Koster, reporting for GlobalPost from Istanbul, said that a local newspaper voiced support for the authorities' interception of the Syrian passenger plane.
"Turkey has shown how committed it is to making sure that civilians do not die at the hands of the oppressive Syrian regime," Aydin Albayrak wrote.
Koster added that Turkish Airlines has not used Syrian air space for the past four days, according to a reported statement by their chairman.
Both Syria and Russia have denied that any military equipment was on the Moscow to Damascus flight.
Russia's national arms export company, Rosoboronexport, told Reuters earlier on Thursday that it had no cargo aboard and that shipping weapons on civilian flights was illegal.
Syria's Foreign Ministry stated that the cargo consisted of legal, civilian items that were all listed on the plane's manifest.
It has accused Turkey of "piracy" and aggression, Reuters said.
More from GlobalPost: Syrian Air jetliner forced to land in Turkey
Meanwhile, Russia has accused Turkey of endagering the lives and safety of the 37 passengers on board, 17 of whom were Russian, RIA Novosti reported.
Doctors and staff from the Russian embassy sought access to the plane as it was made to wait in Turkey, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, but were denied.
"Russia insists on an explanation of such behavior with regard to the Russian nationals and demands that measures be taken to prevent any such incidents happening in the future," he stated.
None of the passengers were arrested.
Turkey allowed the plane to resume its course and it arrived in Damascus early Thursday morning,according to Syrian news agency SANA.
The passengers were physically fine but in a "very bad psychological state," the head of Syrian Air, Ghaida Abdullatif, told the state-run news agency, adding that the airline planned to file a complaint with international aviation authorities.
Abdullatif claimed that Turkey's warplanes almost caused an accident by approaching the jetliner suddenly, though the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said that the pilot was given advance warning that his plane would be grounded if he continued his course into Turkish air space.
Several citizens GlobalPost's Koster spoke to in Istanbul Thursday were divided about what the incident means for Turkey — but they agreed that the show of force has political roots. Can Oymak, a 26-year-old banker, said he doesn't believe the S
