Armenian aircraft gets overflying permit to Syria

ITAR-TASS, Russia
October 15, 2012 Monday 03:40 PM GMT+4

Armenian aircraft gets overflying permit to Syria

ANKARA October 15

Air Armenia aircraft, which has made a forced landing in Turkey, has
gotten an overflying permit to Syria, local mass media report on
Monday.

According to earlier information, if no violations are revealed during
the check, the airliner will continue its flight.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said the aircraft made a landing in
Turkey’s Erzurum as was previously agreed with Yerevan.

Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balaian said the landing in
Turkey was not a surprise for Armenia. “The landing of the aircraft,
carrying humanitarian cargoes to the Syrian city of Aleppo, was made
routinely and as previously agreed,” the Armenian diplomat said.

The An-12 Armenian aircraft, which made the Yerevan-Aleppo flight, has
landed in the Turkish city of Erzurum, Air Armenia director Arsen
Avetisyan said.

He said Turkey circulated reports in mass media that it had forced the
Armenian aircraft to make a landing.

Despite the 330-long km common border, Armenia and Turkey have not
established diplomatic relations yet. Ankara demands Yerevan give up
its position on the genocide of Armenians in 1915 and on support for
Nagorno-Karabakh in the conflict with Azerbaijan.