Armenian plane with relief supplies for Syria lands in Turkey for security check

YEREVAN, November 8. /ARKA/. Armenian transport aircraft “Antonov AN 12” flying with humanitarian cargo to Syria landed in Turkey Thursday, as agreed earlier, AIR Armenia reported.

Turkish authorities ordered the Armenian plane to land in Erzrum Thursday for security check, local mass media outlets reported.

According to NTV TV company, the security check is underway, no official statement has been made yet.

This was the second case of forced landing of an Armenian plane in Erzrum for security check. The first one occurred on October 15, when after an 8-hour check the plane flying from Yerevan to Syrian Aleppo was allowed to continue the flight.

The Turkish authorities said earlier they will check cargo aircrafts flying to Syria for weapons.

A second flight carrying relief supplies from Yerevan for Syrian Armenians was operated by Syrian Airlines, bypassing Turkey, via Iran and Iraq.

Currently about 80,000-100,000 Armenians live in Syrian, most of them in Aleppo (50,000-60,000), others in Damascus, Latakia, Kesab, El-Kamishli and other cities. 

Humanitarian supplies for Syrian Armenian are currently administered by “Help Your Brother” campaign and its member Lilit Galstyan who informed earlier that about 40 tons of relief supplies had been already shipped, RIA Novosti reporeted.

The civil war broke out in Syria in March 2011. Since then, various sources say to UNO, from 20,000 to 30,000 people have suffered violence in the country. The Syrian authorities claim the resistance comes from well-armed militants supported from outside. -0-