Mustafa Çağlayan
05 October 2015•Update: 05 October 2015
NEW YORK
Russia's air operations in Syria created a dangerous situation involving other powers operating in the same airspace, a UN spokesman said Monday.
In a press conference in New York, Stephane Dujarric called on world powers to focus on finding a political solution to Syria's four-and-a-half-year civil war that has claimed more than 250,000 lives.
"What we are seeing now is a lot of different countries and different coalitions operating in the skies above Syria," Dujarric said. "I think it creates a situation that is fraught with danger and very delicate as we had seen on the issue of the violation of airspace with Turkey."
Turkey scrambled F-16 fighter jets to intercept a Russian warplane that violated Turkish airspace on Saturday, the Turkish foreign ministry said Monday. The interception took place in southern Hatay province, according to a statement.
Moscow said the incident was caused by a mistake and that it clarified the matter to Turkish authorities.
Russia began airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday to prop up the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have been accused of killing tens of thousands of Syrians with indiscriminate aerial bombings, including those carried out using toxic chemicals and barrel bombs.
Moscow insists the strikes are targeting Daesh and affiliated terrorist groups, while Western countries and their Gulf allies believe moderate opponents of Assad and civilians are bearing the brunt of Russian attacks.
Dujarric said Monday that the airstrikes must be done in accordance with international law.
A U.S.-led coalition has also been striking Daesh in Syria since September, building upon an aerial campaign already hitting the terrorist group in Iraq.
