Written declaration No. 526 | Doc. 12988 | 27 June 2012

Syrian aggression is a threat to Europe

Signatories: Ms Nursuna MEMECAN, Turkey, ALDE ; Ms Tina ACKETOFT, Sweden, ALDE ; Ms Nebahat ALBAYRAK, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Miloš ALIGRUDIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Lennart AXELSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Pelin Gündeş BAKIR, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Mario BARBI, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Gerard BARCIA DUEDRA, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Josep Anton BARDINA PAU, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Deniz BAYKAL, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Brian BINLEY, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Marek BOROWSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr António BRAGA, Portugal, SOC ; Ms Ankie BROEKERS-KNOL, Netherlands, ALDE ; Mr André BUGNON, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Mevlüt ÇAVUŞOĞLU, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Otto CHALOUPKA, Czech Republic, EDG ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Raphaël COMTE, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Paata DAVITAIA, Georgia, EDG ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Şaban DİŞLİ, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Mr Jeffrey DONALDSON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Alexander (The Earl of) DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Josette DURRIEU, France, SOC ; Baroness Diana ECCLES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Tülin ERKAL KARA, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Ms Sevinj FATALIYEVA, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Ms Doris FIALA, Switzerland, ALDE ; Corina FUSU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Ms Sahiba GAFAROVA, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Ms Alena GAJDŮŠKOVÁ, Czech Republic, SOC ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Margus HANSON, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Håkon HAUGLI, Norway, SOC ; Mr Oliver HEALD, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Roman JAKIČ, Slovenia, ALDE ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Tomáš JIRSA, Czech Republic, EDG ; Mr Haluk KOÇ, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Pavel LEBEDA, Czech Republic, SOC ; Mr Ian LIDDELL-GRAINGER, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Younal LOUTFI, Bulgaria, ALDE ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Ms Meritxell MATEU PI, Andorra, ALDE ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Jean-Pierre MICHEL, France, SOC ; Ms Federica MOGHERINI REBESANI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Fazil MUSTAFA, Azerbaijan, ALDE ; Ms Sandra OSBORNE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Elsa PAPADIMITRIOU, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Mailis REPS, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Andrea RIGONI, Italy, ALDE ; Ms Maria de Belém ROSEIRA, Portugal, SOC ; Ms Amber RUDD, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Indrek SAAR, Estonia, SOC ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Mr Mykola SHERSHUN, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Ervin SPAHIĆ, Montenegro, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Björn von SYDOW, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Lord John E. TOMLINSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Øyvind VAKSDAL, Norway, EDG ; Mr Konstantinos VRETTOS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Klaas de VRIES, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Zoran VUKČEVIĆ, Montenegro, SOC ; Mr Robert WALTER, United Kingdom, EDG

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly is deeply concerned by the shooting down of an unarmed military aircraft of a member State, Turkey, by the Syrian forces on 22 June. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families and friends of the missing Turkish pilots.

Although the aircraft was not acting or manoeuvring in a hostile way and was flying in the international airspace of the East Mediterranean with its identification systems open, the Syrian forces did not hesitate to shoot at it without any prior warning.

The Assembly states that the shooting down of a Turkish aircraft without any warning is unacceptable and condemns it in the strongest terms.

The Assembly also underlines the fact that this hostile act constitutes a flagrant and serious violation of international law.

This incident shows that the Asad regime has now extended its aggression beyond its borders, threatening regional and international peace and stability.

The Assembly commends Turkey for its resolve and restraint in the face of such a provocative attack and hopes for a continuation of this stance.

The Assembly expresses its solidarity with Turkey and urges all the relevant international organisations, in particular the UN and NATO, to clearly state that such acts of aggression can by no means be tolerated.

The Assembly finally reiterates its appreciation of Turkey’s hospitality towards Syrians who flee the oppression in their country.