Turkey continues to make provoking statements in connection with the Armenian aircraft’s planned landing in Erzurum.

On Monday evening, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan told news reporters that the Armenian plane, which was transporting humanitarian cargo to Syria, was allegedly forced to land because of the violations it had committed. 

“The landing occurred because of several violations, but, after the inspection, the plane continued on its flight because no problems fraught with consequences were found,” Erdogan said, RIA Novosti News Agency of Russia reports.   

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the Armenian General Department of Civil Aviation had issued a statement in connection with the Armenian cargo aircraft’s landing in Turkey.  

“Humanitarian relief is provided from Armenia to the Armenian community of Syria. [And] The Turkish aviation authorities had informed the Air Armenia airline company last week that if it wished for its plane to pass through Turkish air space, it must land in Turkey’s Erzurum [city] Airport for cargo inspection. The airline company gave its consent, and landing in that airport was envisioned in its flight plan,” the Armenian General Department of Civil Aviation’s statement had read in particular.      

Nonetheless, Turkey attempted to make a show out of this development and, by way of the media, it stated that the aircraft was forced to land. 

To note, after the routine inspection in Turkey, the Armenian plane headed to Aleppo and safely landed in the city, thereby providing 15 tons of humanitarian cargo for Syrian Armenians.