Turkey bans Cyprus plane from flying over its skies

Turkey recently banned a Cypriot plane from flying over its skies, stating that Cypriot authorities did not obtain permission from Turkey, Arab48.com reported on Friday.

On Wednesday, Cyprus confirmed that it hired a plane carrying 36 tonnes of medical supplies needed for the fight against the coronavirus. The plane turned to Moscow after Turkey had refused to allow it to fly over its skies.

The plane requested permission to fly over Turkey after it had entered into Turkish airspace.

Ankara rejected the request, pushing the plane to divert its way towards Moscow.

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In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed that it allows Cypriot planes to fly over its skies for humanitarian purposes, but they must acquire a permit.

“The plane took off from China without getting permission to use Turkish airspace,” the statement explained, noting that if a request was made on time, it would have been accepted.