Turkey awaits Israeli response over dropped aircraft fuel tanks
September 11, 2007 - 0:0
ANKARA (AFP) -- Turkey said Monday that it was expecting a swift response from Israel over two detachable aircraft fuel tanks found near its border with Syria and described the incident as unacceptable.
""This is an unacceptable development for us,"" Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told reporters here after talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.""We are continuing our investigations. Israel said it would look into the incident and give us information in the shortest time possible,"" he added.
Turkey, Israel's key ally in the region, said Sunday that it had sought clarification from Israel over the fuel tanks found in fields in the southeastern provinces of Hatay and Gaziantep near the border with Syria.
Turkish newspapers said the fuel tanks were from U.S.-made F-15 fighter jets -- the kind used by Israel.
The discovery came a day after Syria said its air defenses opened fire on Israeli warplanes which had violated Syrian airspace Thursday and dropped munitions.
""This was an intentional, hostile attack by Israel,"" Muallem said.
Israel has declined comment