Turkey seized "objectionable cargo" aboard a Syrian passenger plane which it intercepted en route from Moscow to Damascus on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

Turkey seized "objectionable cargo" aboard a Syrian passenger plane which it intercepted en route from Moscow to Damascus on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

A Syrian passenger plane was forced to land in Ankara on Wednesday evening on suspicions that it was carrying weapons, Anatolia news agency reported citing officials.

A Syrian passenger plane was forced to land in Ankara on Wednesday evening on suspicions that it was carrying weapons, Anatolia news agency reported.

Twin attacks by suicide bombers on a Syrian air force compound near Damascus killed dozens of people, a watchdog said on Tuesday, adding that it feared for the safety of hundreds of prisoners being held there.

Twin blasts at a military base near Damascus by suicide bombers, one driving a bomb-laden ambulance, killed dozens of people while the fate of prisoners held there is unknown, a watchdog said on Tuesday.

Syria on Monday accused Turkey of having made a "political and diplomatic gaffe" with its suggestion that Vice President Faruq al-Shara take over from the country's embattled President Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian army moved to crush resistance in the Homs region on Monday hoping to free up troops for the north, as Republican challenger Mitt Romney said Washington should be doing more to get the rebels weapons.

Turkey bombarded Syrian army positions afresh on Monday in response to what Turkish officials said was a new shell strike on a border town, just hours after UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned of the dangers.

Turkey bombarded Syrian army positions afresh on Monday in response to what Turkish officials said was a new shell strike on a border town, just hours after UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned of the dangers.

A car bomb rocked police headquarters in the capital on Sunday after Syrian mortar fire again struck a Turkish border village, prompting fresh retaliation, and as fierce fighting swept the key city of Aleppo.

Syrian mortar fire again struck a Turkish border village on Sunday, prompting artillery retaliation for the fourth day as fierce fighting rocked the key city of Aleppo and rebels lost ground in Damascus.

Aleppo was shaken on Sunday by the heaviest fighting of an almost three-month offensive against rebels in Syria's second city, residents said, as the insurgents lost ground in the capital Damascus.

Rebels cemented their control of Syria's northern frontier with Turkey after fierce clashes with the army, as their bastions in other parts of the country came under heavy shelling on Sunday.

Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara "is a man of reason" who could replace President Bashar al-Assad as the head of a transition administration to stop Syria's civil war, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Nearly 50 soldiers and rebels were killed on Saturday in clashes near Syria's northern border, as Turkey hit back against what it said was new mortar fire from inside Syria.

Nearly 50 soldiers and rebels were killed on Saturday in clashes near Syria's northern border, as Turkey hit back against what it said was new mortar fire from inside Syria.

Turkey hit back on Saturday against what it said was a fresh round of mortar fire from Syria, as monitors said rebels seized a Syrian border village after a fierce battle that left almost 30 dead.

Turkey hit back on Saturday against what it said was a fresh round of mortar fire from Syria, little more than 24 hours after UN condemnation of deadly cross-border bombardment.

Turkey hit back Saturday against what it said was a fresh bombardment of its territory from the Syrian side, little more than 24 hours after UN condemnation of deadly cross-border shelling.