Turkish violation of Armenian airspace regarded within context of Syrian conflict

Turkish violation of Armenian airspace regarded within context of Syrian conflict –

Armenianow – The area directly or indirectly affected by the Syrian conflict, as it appears, is widening. Last week it emerged that it may be including Armenia’s airspace as well. 

In an interview with the Hraparak daily chief of the Head Department of Civil Aviation Artem Movsisyan acknowledged that on October 6 and 7, two Turkish military helicopters violated Armenia’s airspace and stayed there for 2-4 minutes. Ankara explained the violations were due to “bad weather conditions”. 

However, neither the official authorities and the military of Armenia, nor the Russian border forces have commented on the incident. Armenian analysts suggest that Turkey has decided to “take revenge” on Russia for the invasion of its military aircraft into Turkish airspace on October 3-4. This caused a sharp resonance both in Turkey and within NATO, of which it is a member.

Under an interstate agreement, Armenia’s borders are protected by Russian border forces. The airspace of Armenia is also protected jointly by Russian-Armenian air defense forces. It is not known how these air defense forces responded to the invasion by the Turkish helicopters, however, this incident has caused a lot of concern in Armenian society and raised a lot of questions.

To what extent citizens of Armenia can trust Russia in protecting its borders? What powers the joint air defense forces have in case of airspace violations? Does Turkey perceives Armenia as part of the Russian security zone and can the enemies of Russia “take revenge” on it in the territory of Armenia?

Armenia is the only post-Soviet country whose frontiers are still guarded by Russian troops as “the external borders of the CIS.” 

All other countries under various pretexts have rejected the services of Russia. And in Armenia, apparently, on this occasion there is a public-political consensus that allows Russia to call the Armenian border “the external border of the CIS” and its outpost.

The sky over the region is becoming more and more dangerous. It has emerged that European institutions have declared the sky over the Caspian Sea, Iran and Iraq as dangerous for flying. This is due to the use of Russian missiles, which, according to Moscow, were fired at Syrian territory from the Caspian Sea – through Iran and Iraq. Many aircraft fly to Armenia through this space.