Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, Bülent Arınç
PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey said it has no intention of going to war with anyone after one of its jets was shot down by Syria last week and said it would only act in accordance with international law, according to Today’s Zaman.
“Whatever is needed to be done will definitely be done within the framework of international law. We have no intention of going to war with anyone. We have no such intent,” Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç told a news conference Turkey after a seven-hour cabinet meeting on the incident.
The unarmed RF-4E reconnaissance jet was shot down a mile (1.6 kilometers) inside international airspace on Friday, and two Turkish pilots are still missing, the Turkish government says.
Arınç said Turkey won’t hesitate to take necessary steps within legitimate boundaries of international law, adding that Syria targeted “our solo-flying, unarmed plane with cold blood. International law stands by Turkey in the face of this hostile action.”
Arınç said Syrian air “elements” had violated Turkish air space five times “recently” but that the incidents had been settled peacefully.
He also underlined that seeking a parliamentary motion for cross-border military operation is not currently on government’s agenda and that there is no need for that. “We can appeal to parliament if needed,” he stressed.
Arınç also claimed that Turkey would push NATO to consider Syria’s downing of the Turkish jet as an attack on the whole military alliance.
