Officials suspected it was carrying weapons, and say illegal cargo items have been found. The A-320, carrying around 30 passengers, spent several hours on the ground while the contents of its hold were examined.
Turkish fighter planes were scrambled to intercept the plane after it entered Turkish airspace. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey had received intelligence that the cargo did not conform to civilian rules. Euronews' correspondent in Turkey says, "Grounding the Syrian jet has raised tensions between Ankara and Damascus to a new level. Turkey has been rattled by cross-border Syrian mortar fire and has responded promptly and decisively. This forced landing took place after the head of the military visited the border and vowed to step up the response if the shelling continued. It is clear Turkey wants to increase the pressure on Syria."
SOURCE: Euronews
