TURKEY: Prime Minister Erdogan reiterates Syrian plane carried 'war material'.

Record ID: 217594

  • Title: TURKEY: Prime Minister Erdogan reiterates Syrian plane carried 'war material'.
  • Date: 16th October 2012
  • Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (OCTOBER 15, 2012) (REUTERS) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TAYYIP ERDOGAN ARRIVING FOR A NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TAYYIP ERDOGAN SAYING: "The material which is in our hands now, is definitely warfare material. There is no reason to contort this by calling it a radar equipment or something else. In any case, radar mat
  • Embargoed: 31st October 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8PDHUB73KDT82QQO6MRT1SUO7
  • Story Text: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Monday (October 15) asserted again that a Syrian airliner flying from Moscow and forced to land in Ankara last week was carrying military equipment, threatening to ratchet up a dispute with Russia.
    The Syrian Air Airbus A-320 was intercepted on Oct. 10 after Turkish authorities received an intelligence tip-off about its cargo. The following day, Erdogan said the plane was carrying Russian-made munitions bound for Syria's Defence Ministry.
    Moscow said the aircraft was not carrying weapons and demanded an explanation for the grounding from the Turkish side.
    On Monday, Erdogan told reporters at a news conference that packages seized from the plane bore the name KBP Instrument Design Bureau, a Russian weapons manufacturer, and the recipient was the Syrian Defence Ministry.
    "The material which is in our hands now, is definitely warfare material." Erdogan said.
    "There is no reason to contort this by calling it radar equipment or something else. In any case, radar material is used for the purpose of war," he added.
    The dispute risks damaging Ankara's carefully cultivated relationship with Russia, which supplies Turkey with most of its oil, natural gas and coal.
    The two nations are on opposite sides on Syria, with Russia maintaining support for President Bashar al-Assad and Erdogan among his most vocal critics in the 19-month crackdown on a popular uprising that has claimed 30,000 lives.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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