Syria, Turkey invoke mutual flight bans

ISTANBUL, Turkey, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Turkey and Syria have banned flights by each other's civilian airlines in their airspace as tensions between the neighboring countries mount.

The Voice of America reported Sunday that Turkey said it has ruled Turkish skies off-limits to Syrian passenger planes.

The Syrian Arab News Agency reported Sunday the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that based on the Istanbul's decision to not allow Syrian civilian planes to fly over Turkey, Damascus had decided to not allow Turkish civilian planes to fly over Syria.

The escalation follows last week's forced landing of a Syrian passenger flight by Turkish military jets.

The Turkish air force forced the Syrian plane flying from Moscow to Damascus to land in Ankara on suspicions it was carrying munitions.

Turkey is one of many countries calling for an end to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.