'Turkey does not seek war with Syria'

Despite the tension in Turkish-Syrian relations and provocation by Damascus, Turkey does not intend to start a war with Syria, the Aksam newspaper quotes head of the Turkish General Staff, Necdet Ozer as saying on Monday.

"Turkey does not intend to start a war with Syria, however, Damascus's provocations will not go unanswered," Ozer said.

He said Turkey will act together with the world powers in the Syrian crisis issue.

Turkish and Syrian relations are experiencing tension after Turkish Air Force F-4 jet, departing from the Erhac airbase in the Province of Malatya, was shot down.
Syria said it shot down the F4 jet because it was flying over Syrian territorial waters.

However, Turkish side says that the F4 jet was shot down in international airspace and its wreckage fell into Syrian territorial waters.

Turkey began to draw up military equipment to the border with Syria on Tuesday after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Bashar al-Assad's regime is a threat to Turkish security.


/Trend/