ISTANBUL — Turkey
on Sunday called for a meeting of its NATO allies after charging that
Syria’s shoot-down of a Turkish F4 Phantom jet Friday had occurred over
international waters without any warning.
The report was a reversal of Turkey’s statement Saturday that its plane had strayed over Syrian airspace.
Both
the United States and Great Britain denounced Syria in response to the
new Turkish details, and the North Atlantic Council set a meeting for
Tuesday under Article IV of the NATO treaty, under which any party can
call for consultations if it feels its territory or security is
threatened. The meeting, however, falls well short of calling for
military support under Article V.
A Turkish spokesman said Turkey would use the meeting to brief
NATO allies and exchange information. He said Ankara reserves the right
to respond to the Syrian action at a time and manner of its choosing. A
NATO spokesman said the alliance would consult on the incident and
decide if further steps are appropriate.
William Hague, the
British Foreign Secretary, condemned “this outrageous act,” and said it
underscored the need for replacing the regime of President Bashar Assad,
whose government has been besieged by an uprising calling for his
resignation since March of last year.
In a statement, U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the downing of the plane a
“brazen and unacceptable act” and said it was “yet another reflection of
the Syrian authorities’ callous disregard for international norms,
human life, and peace and security.” She said the United States would
work with Turkey “and other partners to hold the Assad regime
accountable.”
