Under the framework of the Open Skies Treaty, Russia began launching an observation flights over Turkish territory on Tuesday which will continue until Friday, officials said.
The surveillance flights started amid the ongoing crisis between Ankara and Moscow over the downing of a Russian SU-24 bomber by Turkish fighter jets after it violated Turkish airspace near the Syrian border last month.
Russian authorities confirmed the flight, which is being conducted jointly by both Turkish and Russian specialists, according to the Open Skies Treaty agreement.
"As part of implementation of the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian group of inspectors plans to conduct a surveillance flight on board a Russian An-30B aircraft over the territory of the Turkish Republic," Sergey Ryzhkov, a Russian defense ministry official, was quoted as saying by Russian Tass news agency.
The aircraft is planned to fly about 1,500 kilometers during the 4-day-long activity.
Surveillance flights under the Open Skies Treaty are implemented in order to promote greater openness and transparency in military activities of the countries that are parties to the treaty. The flights are important for consolidation of security through strengthening of confidence-building measures between the agreed parties.
Turkish specialists will also be on board the surveillance flight. The Open Skies Treaty gives rights to member states of "gathering information about military forces and activities of concern to them."
This observation flight is a pre-arranged program which was postponed in October on Ankara's request amid a series of airspace violations by Russian jets.
After downing Russian jet by Turkey, fate of the event was uncertain as Russia canceled several bilateral agreements and a summit in retaliation for Turkish actions.
The Treaty on Open Skies signed on March 24, 1992, and entered into force on January 1, 2002 allowing a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of the participants of 32 signatories.
It represents the widest-ranging international effort to promote openness and transparency of military forces and activities.
