Turkey turns to NATO after Syria downs jet
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey is to demand backing from its NATO allies at a special meeting called after Syrian troops shot down a Turkish warplane last week in an incident Damascus said was self- defense but which Ankara branded an “act of aggression.”
It is only the second time in NATO’s 63-year history that it has convened under Article 4 of its charter which provides for consultations when a member state feels its territorial integrity, political independence or security is under threat.
Turkey rejected assertions from Damascus that its forces had no option but to fire on the F-4 jet as it flew over Syrian waters close to the coast on Friday.
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Turkey yesterday condemned the “hostile act by the Syrian authorities against Turkey’s national security,” saying it posed “a serious threat to peace and security in the region.”
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told a news conference that Syria’s actions “would not go unpunished.”
The incident has further heightened tensions between Turkey and Syria already strained to near breaking point over the 16-month uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s rule.
Though not known for his restraint, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has so far been measured in his response, perhaps due to Western reluctance to commit to any military action and wary himself of anything that could trigger a regional sectarian war.
European Union foreign ministers called on Monday for Turkey to show restraint, saying they would increase pressure on Assad.
“Military intervention in Syria is out of the question,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal.