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Russia demands explanation
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Turkey never informed the Russian embassy that 17 Russians were on board the plane. After learning about it from news reports, the embassy sent consulate workers and a doctor to the airport, spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said, and demanded access to the Russians.
“Russia insists that the Turkish authorities must explain their conduct regarding Russian citizens and prevent similar incidents in the future,” Lukashevich said in a statement.
The official pointed out that Russia has not suspended military-technological cooperation with Syria, and therefore could send weapons to Damascus through official channels, rather than trying to smuggle such material on a civilian plane.
“If it had been necessary to ship any military hardware or weapons to Syria, this would have been done through the established procedure rather than in an illegal way, not to mention using a civilian aircraft,” the official said, according to Interfax.
Most of the 150 U.S. troops are Army special operations forces, and some have been in Jordan for several months, Panetta said. They are helping Jordan monitor Syrian chemical and biological weapons sites and develop its own military capabilities “so that we can deal with all of the possible consequences” of the Syria war, he said.
Originally posted by Samuelis
“We are determined to control weapons transfers to a regime that carries out such brutal massacres against civilians.
Turkey slaughtered a million Armenian civilians… but thats different It seems.
Arrrrredit on 11-10-2012 by Samuelis because: (no reason given)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A plane intercepted by Turkish fighter jets on its way from Moscow to Damascus was carrying equipment and ammunition destined for the Syrian Defense Ministry, Turkey's prime minister said Thursday.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's comments follow a fierce denial by Syria that anything illegal had been aboard the Airbus A320 that was forced by Turkey to land in Ankara late Wednesday. Syria, whose relations with neighboring Turkey have plummeted over the Syrian war, branded it an act of piracy.
Earlier in the day, Turkish officials had rejected claims by Syria's ally, Russia, that Turkey had endangered the lives of Russian citizens on board the aircraft.
"These were equipment and ammunitions that were being sent from a Russian agency ... to the Syrian Defense Ministry," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.
"Their examination is continuing and the necessary (action) will follow," he added.