Ankara warns UN the jet shot down a "security threat" from Syria
Istanbul
(AsiaNews / Agencies) - In a letter to the UN Security Council, the Turkish
government defines Syria's shooting down of a military jet a regional
"security threat". The
deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc said yesterday at a press conference that
the Syrian action "will not remain unpunished."
These
strong comments come just hours from the NATO meeting, convoked by Ankara,
under Article 4 of the Atlantic Alliance, that if a member feels threatened and
subjected to an offense, that offense is seen as made to all members.
Bulent
Arinc also said that the destruction of the jet by Syria is "a hostile act
to the utmost."
On
June 22 a Turkish Air Force F-4 Phantom entered Syrian air space. According
to Ankara, it then immediately returned to international space where it was shot
down by Damascus. Turkey
says that Syria knew the identity of the aircraft and did not advise before
firing. Damascus'
version is that the plane was unknown and flying at 100 meters above the ground
at a speed of 700-800 km / h, and it had to respond quickly to the threat.
In
a press conference yesterday, Jihad Makdissi, spokesman for the Foreign
Ministry in Damascus, said that "We have no hostile intentions against the
Turkish people or the Turkish government ".
The
incident has raised tensions between the two countries, already at a breaking over
Ankara's support to rebels fighting against the Assad regime. So
far, however, the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has remained fairly
measured. On
the other hand, the idea of involving NATO in any military operation in the
region now seems excluded. Yesterday,
EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, promised to increase pressure on
Assad, but also called on Turkey to show restraint. The
Dutch minister said that "military intervention in Syria is off the
table".
Meanwhile,
searches continue in the Mediterranean for the two pilots of the Turkish jet.
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