Russia says Syria plane carried radar parts, not ammo

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia's foreign minister said on Friday, October 12 that a Moscow-Damascus passenger airliner forced to land in Turkey over suspicions it had weapons on board was legally carrying Russian radar parts, RIA Novosti reported.

Turkish F-16 fighter jets forced down the Syrian Air Airbus A320 some three hours after it had taken off from Moscow's Vnukovo international airport late on Wednesday. Turkey eventually permitted the A320 to resume its flight after a five-hour inspection of the aircraft that resulted in the seizure of a number of items.

"We have no secrets," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists after meeting President Vladimir Putin near Moscow. "There were, of course, no weapons on board and there could not have been."

Lavrov also stressed the delivery was "entirely legal" and that Russia would demand both the return of the equipment and an explanation from Turkey.

But he also said the "radar station equipment" was "dual purpose," meaning it could have both civilian and military applications.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the intercepted plane was carrying Russian-made military gear and ammunition destined for the Syrian military, but Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the jet had no weapons or illegal items on board. Moscow has repeatedly blocked international sanctions against the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over what it says is a pro-rebel bias. Tens of thousands of people have killed been since the outbreak of civil war in Syria in March 2011, according to opposition groups.

Russia has insisted that its ongoing arms deliveries to Syria are in accordance with international law.