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Damascus warns Turkey against flights over Syrian territory

Syria will repel any aggression and will "respond by relevant means to protect its national sovereignty", the country's Foreign Ministry said

CAIRO, September 13. /TASS/. Damascus will respond adequately to the actions of Turkish warplanes over the Syrian territory, including Turkish air strikes disguised as fight on the Islamic State terrorist group, SANA news agency said on Tuesday citing a Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman.

"The Syrian government reiterates that any combat flights by Turkish warplanes over the Syrian territory under a pretext of fighting Islamic State performed without coordination with the Syrian government and the command of the Russian contingent are seen as aggression against Syria, a violation of its sovereignty and inviolability of its borders," the ministry said in a statement.

Syria will repel any such aggression and will "respond to it by relevant means to protect its national sovereignty," the ministry stressed.

Damascus rejects humanitarian aid delivery to Aleppo without coordination

SANA also said that the Syrian Foreign Ministry would not permit the delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly that from Turkey, to Aleppo without coordination with the Syrian government and the United Nations.

"In reply to reports Turkey is going to dispatch certain items, allegedly humanitarian assistance, to Aleppo the Syrian government declares that no deliveries, especially those from Turkey, will be allowed into Syrian territory without coordination with the Syrian government and the United Nations," SANA quotes the Foreign Ministry as saying.

Earlier, Reuters said that trucks carrying Turkish humanitarian aid had crossed into Syria earlier on Tuesday. Some twenty trucks proceeded to Syria’s northern areas through the checkpoint in the Turkish city of Cilvegozu.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday declared a humanitarian convoy had been dispatched to Aleppo.

"After the sunset the United Nations and our Red Crescent will dispatch truckloads of toys, clothing and foods to Aleppo. The aid will be delivered through agreed humanitarian corridors," he said.