Member of Armenian Delegation to NATO PA addresses letter to NATO Secretary General over violation of Armenia's air boundaries by Turkish helicopters

  A member of the Armenian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly NATO Tevan Poghosyan has addressed a letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg over violation of Armenia's air boundaries by Turkish combat helicopters.  Poghosyan informed media about his letter on October 19.   

The parliamentarian said he had no opportunity to ask the question he is concerned about at the PA meeting, but in the corridor he briefed Stoltenberg on the issue. "He said he was not familiar with the situation and asked to address him in a written form.  Stoltenberg promised to reply to it," Poghosyan said. He hopes to receive the reply as early as in November when Armenia will be hosting a NATO Week. 

"I hope NATO will give adequate assessment to the violation of border by its member, especially after NATO Secretary General addressed Russian helicopters in his speech calling the violation of air borders inadmissible," Tevan Poghosyan told reporters. 

On October 6 and 7, the Turkish military helicopters violated the state border of Armenia and this issue was even secretly been discussed at the meeting of the Executive Body of the Republican Party of Armenia presided over by President Serzh Sargsyan, Hraparak (Square) newspaper says.  

Artyom Movsisyan, Head of the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia, has confirmed the information that on October 6 and 7, the Turkish military helicopters violated the state border of Armenia. He said the Turkish helicopters were flying in Armenia's air space for 2 and 4 minutes.  However, after the Armenian operators contacted their Turkish colleagues, the problem was settled and the Turkish helicopters returned to their air space. The Turkish operators explained the facts of border violations with poor weather conditions and low visibility.