Turkey responds to Russian claims over intercepted Syrian passenger plane

After a Syrian passenger plane en route from Moscow has been intercepted by F16 jets as it entered Turkish airspace and escorted to the Esenboga Airport in Ankara on Wednesday, Russia demanded that Turkey explain its interception of the plane, saying that Ankara has put the lives of passengers at risk, as there were also Russian citizens among the passengers. In a written response on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Selcuk Unal said the pilot had refused to provide the flight manifest of the Syrian Arab Airlines plane, adding that Turkey was informed by the Russian Embassy that the passengers included Russian nationals just before the plane took off from Ankara's Esenboga Airport following the confiscation of the suspected cargo. Unal said Turkish authorities provided regular flow of information to the Russian Embassy as soon as they were informed about the Russian passengers. "Concerns that lives and security of the passengers were put in danger are unfounded," Unal added, saying that a team of paramedics and an ambulance were on stand-by in case of an emergency.