Turkey said it intercepted the Syrian plane because it violated civil aviation laws by transporting military gear. (Reuters)
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.ISTANBUL
The interception of a Syrian passenger plane from Russia, allegedly
carrying military gear to Damascus, is a sign of Turkey’s mounting
frustration at the drawn-out conflict and its inability to hasten regime
change in its neighbor, according to analysts.
Recent cross-border shelling from Syria that killed five Turkish
civilians near the countries’ 910-kilometer (566-mile) common frontier
may have forced Turkey to act, but its options were limited.
“There’s nothing magical about the timing. It’s a coincidence resulting
from the build-up of frustration in Ankara,” said Fadi Hakura, a Turkey
analyst at the Chatham House think tank in London. “Turkey wants to
hasten the demise of the Assad regime in Damascus, but really its hands
are tied.”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been at the forefront of
international efforts to put pressure on the Assad regime and end its
19-month crackdown on the opposition. Last year, Ankara began allowing
members of the rebel Free Syrian Army to operate in Turkey and now
Syria’s civil war has reached a stalemate.
“Given the current international impasse over the conflict in Syria,
practical measures such as the interception of aircraft will become
increasingly important for states seeking to restrict Syrian government
forces’ access to military-related goods from external sources,” said
Edin Omanovic, a researcher with the Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute.
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