We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A SYRIAN PASSENGER plane was forced to land in Ankara this evening on suspicions that it was carrying weapons, Anatolia news agency reported citing officials.
“We received information that the plane’s cargo did not comply with rules of civil aviation,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted as saying by the agency.
Davutoglu noted that international law would apply if weapons were found on the Syrian aircraft, without elaborating further.
The plane carrying 35 passengers was escorted by two Turkish jets to Ankara’s Esenboga Airport for security checks on its cargo by Turkish special operation units.
The A-320 plane was travelling from Moscow to Damascus when it was intercepted by Turkish authorities at around 1430 GMT, according to NTV news channel.
The search for weapons and ammunition is ongoing.
Ankara on Wednesday also warned Turkish airline companies against using Syrian airspace to avoid a possible retaliation from Damascus, NTV added.
After that warning, that a Turkish Airlines plane carrying Turkish pilgrims from the northwestern city of Bursa landed urgently in Adana city in the south, according to NTV.
The plane is waiting for Ankara’s green light to take off again for its destination in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Tensions between Turkey and Syria have been running high, with sporadic fire exchanges at the border since last Wednesday.
Last week, a Syrian shell hit a Turkish border town, killing five civilians – two women and three children.
The deadly incident triggered retaliation fire from Turkish artillery units at the border, which has been increasingly fortified by scores of anti-aircraft batteries and Howitzers since the shelling.
It also brought on a parliamentary mandate which is valid for one year and which allows the government to authorise cross-border operations in Syria, and to be used “if needed”.
The Turkish army also warned earlier Wednesday of a stronger response if Syrian shells continued to land on Turkish soil.
Ties between Ankara and Damascus have been dramatically strained since June, when a Turkish jet was brought down by Syrian fire, killing its two pilots onboard.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
There’s a storm coming!!!!
Russians flying in arms. Americans landed in Jordan today. Whole thing is a mess orchestrated from afar.
The world seems to have being itching for a war the last while.
Every time there is an economic down turn there is always some sort of war that takes place. War can be very profitable.
Thats cause the banks fund both sides of the war. Interest is a bitch.
B Lowe, you should stop hanging around with Jim Corr. The term NATO is giving to certain types of ammo used by NATO forces and these are also available to lots of non NATO forces. 5.56 and 7.62 are the cartridge munitions most commonly used and for artillery it’s 105mm and 115mm. So in theory it could have been fired by the Syrian army.
Modern NATO forces use 120mm rounds while modern Russian and ex-soviet tend to lean towards 122mm. That said the Syrian army is armed with older Soviet mortars of WW2 vintage which use 120mm rounds not to mention the newer NATO members using 122mm soviet designed mortars.
Also the rounds are build by private companies, not NATO. Iirc there are plants manufacturing 5.56 and 7.62 NATO rounds in China which as far as I know isn’t a member. Special forces also use weapons and ammunition of opposing forces to mask who was involved. So even if the round could be traced to NATO sources (which it most likely cant) there’s no way to tell who fired it.
Flatten and rebuild, it’s coming!
Turkeys definitely trying to provoke a full blown conflict. News coming out last night with regards to shell that landed in Turkish village a few days back was actually NATO calibre. Sounds like Turkey doing false flag op.
Turkey trying to distraction attention from terrible state of economy and under orders from their paymasters(Saudi Arabia).
Where did you get the info on it being NATO caliber. As far as the rest of the world are aware NATO do not have artillery on the ground.
Don’t bother asking, he has no proof and never does. Just empty rhetoric.
In fairness Turkish media did report that story about the shells that were meant for the Saudis but who believes anything coming out of there. The first casualty of war is the truth as they say.
I read as well that the shell that landed in turkey was a NATO shell, that was given to the Syrian “rebels”. Can’t remember where exactly I read it though.
what planet are you on NATO caliber? calibers are global not owned by a particular military organization they refer to the size of the projectile not who owns it. where was the news coming out from the sun?
http://rt.com/news/nato-mortar-syria-turkey-954/.
Belly Up, I merely provide my opinion on the matter. I realised to my horror a few years back that what I was being told in the Western media was on the whole complete fantasy. In used to think I was smart believing all the propaganda that was red to me. Probably like you now.
What you hear on the news is complete trollop on the whole.
Re Jason, I have provided countless links countless times. Your entitled to your opinion but you are mis informed re me and your opinion(not that I care one bit, just pointing out).
So b Lowe this is about your opinion and not about what’s actually going on over there. How about coming out of the shadows. Open the curtains in your dark bedroom and let the sunlight in.
B Lowe, you are entitled to your opinion as am I. However when you make the accusation that the entire western media is spreading bull, I’d expect a little more proof than a website who quotes a Turkish newspaper (no mention of which) and a “reliable source”. If you need to make the statement that your source is reliable, it’s probably because you want to believe it is and not because it actually is.
When this is all you have to claim that my opinion is wrong then you or your site are not doing a good job of proving it.
I’d also not quote from Russia Today. Somehow you think a publicly funded Russian news channel will tell the real story. You really don’t have a clue.
What you’re doing is thinking you’re smart reading publicy funded news from Putin. All you self-loathing lefties are the all same. That’s not a generalisation, that’s a fact. You all tow the same line and have no original ideas. It’s pathetic.
Well we are nearly 2 months away from 21/12/12 so all seems to be falling into place!
The terms NATO or what used to be Warsaw Pact doesn’t mean anything, many ex warsaw pact countries are now in NATO still with russian calibres, either side have access to both the russian and french supply weapons to syria or at least did
No idea why this comment was doubled up, was intended for the next comment up. Good job Journal.
have your say