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Turkey endangers lives of Russians on Syria-bound plane - FM

The diplomat recalled that the Turkish authorities on the night from October 10 to 11 forced a Syrian civilian plane that was flying from Moscow to Damascus

MOSCOW, October 11 (Itar-Tass) — Turkey’s actions have put at risk the lives of Russians that were on board a plane of Syrian Airlines, and Moscow demands explanations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich stated on Thursday.

The diplomat recalled that the Turkish authorities on the night from October 10 to 11 forced a Syrian civilian plane that was flying from Moscow to Damascus to land at Ankara airport.

“We are troubled that the lives of the passengers aboard the plane, including 17 Russian citizens were put at risk by this inappropriate act. Turkey did not inform Russia that Russian citizens were among those detained on the plane. We found this out through the electronic media,” Lukashevich said.

“The Russian Embassy in Ankara demanded that the Turkish authorities provide access to the Russian citizens. Consular officials and a doctor were sent to the airport,” the RF Foreign Ministry specified. “However, the Turkish authorities without explaining the reason and in violation of the bilateral Consular Convention did not allow the diplomats to meet with our citizens, which during 8 hours were not admitted into the airport building, only sometimes they were allowed to come down on the tarmac,” Lukashevich stated. “Meals were not provided to them,” Lukashevich stated.

The Russian side “continues to insist on the need of explaining of the reasons for such actions of the Turkish authorities against Russian citizens and taking measures to prevent incidents of the kind in the future.”