Syria hits back with ban on Turkish flights

AFP

DAMASCUS SYRIA bans Turkish passenger flights from its airspace Sunday in a retaliatory move after Turkey seized a cargo of what Russia said was radar installations en route from Moscow to Damascus.

The retribution, just weeks before the annual hajj when thousands of Turkish pilgrims head to the Islamic holy places in Saudi Arabia on a route that they normally would take by Syrian airspace, came despite a flurry of diplomacy on Saturday intended to calm rising tensions between the neighbours.

Syria accuses Turkey of channeling arms to rebels fighting the Arab Gulf States from his troops, who are already under pressure over large parts of the North, including the second city Aleppo mounting.

The flight ban went into force from midnight (2100 GMT Saturday) "in accordance with the principle of reciprocity," said SANA State News Agency, although Turkey has said its airspace open to Syrian civilian flights.

Since last Wednesday, had warned Turkey its airlines to avoid Syrian airspace for fear of retribution for that day interception of the Syrian Air flight by Turkish jets on the assertion that the wore military equipment.

The United States supported its NATO ally confiscation of what Russia said was radar spare parts, saying that they "serious military equipment" was founded.

Russia, traditional ally of President Bashar al-Assad regime, was that the cargo broke any international rules.

Turkey has taken an increasingly strident line towards southern neighbour since a shell fired from the Syrian side of the border killed five of its nationals on 3 October
It has since repeatedly revenge for cross-border fire, which prompted growing UN concern and a flurry of diplomatic contacts.

After talks with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle on Saturday repeated Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that Ankara would not tolerate any further incidents with border.

"We will hit back without hesitation if we believe that Turkey's national security is in danger," he said.

Westerwelle renewed Germany's support for its NATO ally while at the same time appealing for restraint.

"We are on the side of Turkey but also we call Turkey moderation," he said.

Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, a veteran Algerian diplomat who the Envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League, head to Iran, the closest ally of the Government of Syria, after consultations in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the main backers of the opposition.

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