Turkish authorities allow armenian plane to continue flight

Turkish authorities allowed the Armenian plane, which was forced to land in Erzurum airport on Thursday, continued its flight. Turkey has intercepted a Syria-bound cargo plane suspected of carrying arms which took off from Armenia but has found only food, in line with what was declared by Armenian authorities. The plane, which was declared to be carrying humanitarian aid to Syria, was asked to land in the eastern Turkish province of Erzurum. The Antonov AN 12 cargo plane landed at Erzurum airport. After scanning boxes in the cargo plane, Turkish security forces found 15 tons of food and humanitarian aid destined for Aleppo. Ankara has stepped up efforts to prevent its airspace from being used to supply the Syrian military and forced down a Syrian airliner traveling from Moscow last month, which it said was carrying Russian munitions destined for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s military, (Today’s Zaman) reported. Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said those organizing the flight asked Turkey on Tuesday for permission to carry humanitarian aid to Aleppo through Turkish airspace. Turkey allowed the plane to fly but asked it to make a technical landing in Erzurum for what it said was a “routine procedure.”