August 19, 2006 After Israel demanded that Turkey control the alleged arms shipments to Hezbollah, Turkish government has increased its security checks against the Iranian aircraft. On July 27th and august 8th Turkey had conducted searches on two Iranian cargo planes headed for Syria. Yesterday another Iranian plane was forced to land by the Turkish […]
August 19, 2006
After Israel demanded that Turkey control the alleged arms shipments to Hezbollah, Turkish government has increased its security checks against the Iranian aircraft.
On July 27th and august 8th Turkey had conducted searches on two Iranian cargo planes headed for Syria. Yesterday another Iranian plane was forced to land by the Turkish authorities. According to DHA, acting on a tip, the authorities forced an Iranian private airline cargo plane to land in Diyarbakır in the Southeast province of Turkey. The plane was thoroughly searched after its landing.
Previously Israeli officials had demanded Turkey to establish an embargo against Iran on air and land. They had also added that they had communicated this demand and had discussions about it with the Turkish government.
While the Foreign Office spokesperson Namık Tan confirmed the previous two incidents, he downplayed the events as “routine.” He said, “We are not searching the planes to comply with others’ demands. Each country makes their own decisions and carries them out.”
Turkey is taking the necessary precautions
The US Foreign Secretary spokesperson Tom Casey expressed yesterday that they were convinced that Turkey had implemented necessary precautions to prevent the arms shipment to Hezbollah. He said, “Like the other countries in the region and Europe, Turkey is determined to implement the decision 1701 of the UN. This decision involves prevention of arms shipments to Hezbollah. Big responsibility awaits Turkey in this issue.”
USA Today: Last month a flight was prevented
USA Today reports that a flight thought to be carrying weapons to Hezbollah from Iran has been prevented from flying to its destination with the coordination of Turkey and Iraq. According to the report the plane, thought to be carrying launchers for the 802 Nur rockets took off from Tehran on July 20th. The plane was prevented from entering the Iraqi airspace by the US. The plane then headed towards Turkey but officials in Turkey communicated that they would only allow the flight on the condition of landing of the plane and a search by the Turkish authorities. The report indicates that under these conditions the plane refused to land and returned back to Tehran.
