Turkish jets scramble Russian intel plane

ANKARA

The Turkish Air Force scrambled four F-16 fighter jets after a Russian surveillance plane flew parallel along its Black Sea coast, the military said on April 13.The events happened amid increased tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine and Ankara and Moscow over the alleged violation of the Montreux Convention.The incident is believed to be the fifth since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis with Russian IL-20 intelligence planes conducting surveillance flights very near to Turkish airspace, but not violating it.“Approaching from the Romanian side, a Russian IL-20 plane flew along 15 to 20 nautical miles parallel off our shores in international air space,” read the statement issued by the Chief of General Staff on April 13.The statement informed that four F-16 fighters, from Bandırma and Merzifon air bases, were scrambled around noon and the Russian surveillance plane was intercepted once at 12:35 local time.