Nato to discuss Syria plane attack
Nato’s governing body will meet on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian downing of a Turkish plane, a spokesman said today.
Oana Lungescu said the North Atlantic Council will meet in Brussels to hear Turkey’s complaint.
Turkish officials say the jet was on a training flight on Friday when it strayed into Syrian airspace, but was in international airspace when it was shot down.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told State TV that Turkey would seek the meeting over article 4 of the Nato charter concerning Friday’s incident.
The article says member countries “will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened”.
Mr Davutoglu said that the jet was downed in international airspace after it mistakenly entered Syria, but the plane was not on a spying mission.
Ms Lungescu said that under the article, an ally can request consultations “whenever, in the opinion of any of them, their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.”
