Ankara grounds second Syria-bound plane
Authorities search cargo hold of Armenian aircraft a week after forcing Russian passenger jet to land
People gather atop the aircraft steps alongside a Syrian passenger plane that was forced by Turkish jets to land at Esenboga airport in Ankara, Turkey, October 10, 2012 (photo credit: AP/Burhan Ozbilici)
Turkey forced an Armenian plane headed for Syria to land Monday morning, state TV reported.
The plane landed in the eastern city of Erzurum.
Turkish authorities searched the plane’s cargo, but no other details were available.
Last week, Turkey grounded a Russian passenger plane bound for Syria, saying it was suspected of shuttling heavy weapons to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Turkish authorities said they found parts that could be used in missiles and military communications equipment aboard the aircraft.
The grounding caused a diplomatic incident between Moscow and Ankara and further served to ice ties between Turkey and Syria.
Both countries closed their airspace to the other’s planes following the incident.
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