Turkey says it intercepted Syrian ship

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country is enforcing an arms embargo against Syria over its brutal crackdown on protesters.

Today's Zaman reported Erdogan told reporters in New York Friday Turkey had intercepted one Syrian-flagged ship carrying arms bound for Syria.

Turkey has told Damascus it stopped the ship and is enforcing an arms embargo against Syria,

Erdogan did not provide details on the Syrian ship's status or when or where it was intrercepted.

He said Turkey has prepared for sanctions against Syria and the Turkish foreign minister is working with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Turkey had shut off its airspace to planes carrying military equipment to Syria after Erdogan's announcement Tuesday that Ankara was considering sanctions against Syria in coordination with the United States.

Turkey intercepted an arms shipment from Iran to Syria in August and in March seized the cargo of a Syria-bound Iranian plane carrying weapons including automatic rifles, rocket launchers and mortars. The plane's cargo violated U.N. sanctions, Today's Zaman said.

Turkey had been a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but has grown increasingly critical of his crackdown on protesters.