Iran urges Turkey, Syria to exercise restraint
Iran Press TV
Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:51PM GMT
Iran has called for restraint amid heightened tensions between Ankara and Damascus after Turkish forces shot down a Syrian warplane near the border.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday that a military approach would only escalate tensions in the region.
Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Ankara and Tehran are determined to continue their fight against terrorism and support any political solution to the Syrian conflict.
On Sunday, Ankara said the Syrian warplane was downed after crossing the border into Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the army for targeting the plane and warned of a heavy response if Syria violates Turkey's airspace again.
However, Syrian officials on Sunday rejected Turkey's claim about the violation of its airspace and said the plane was inside the Syrian airspace when it was downed.
A Syrian army spokesman described the act as "a flagrant aggression," saying the warplane was targeting foreign-backed militants in the coastal province of Latakia, close to the border with Turkey.
'In a flagrant act of aggression that is evidence of Erdogan's support for terrorist groups, Turkish anti-aircraft defenses shot down a Syrian military aircraft that was chasing terrorist groups inside Syrian territory at Kassab,' the official said.
Syrian army soldiers have been engaged in heavy clashes over the past days with foreign-backed militants around Kassab, a border crossing with Turkey close to the Mediterranean.
Turkey has been one of the most vocal opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and one of the supporters of militants fighting against the Assad government.
Reports say over 140,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the foreign-backed militancy that has gripped Syria since March 2011.
MRS/MAM/AS
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