Erdogan: We Don’t Want War with Syria

Local Editor

"Turkey has no intention to start a war with Syria," announced the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday, after the Parliament passed a resolution authorizing the government to conduct military operations in Syria.

During a joint press conference with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, Erdogan said "All we want in this region is peace and security. That is our intention. We do not intend to start a war with Syria."
The Turkish leader further added that "the Turkish Republic is a state capable of defending its citizens and borders. Nobody should try to test our commitment to this issue."

Meanwhile, the slogan "Savasa Hayir" ("No to War") was the most repeated on Twitter accounts across Turkey on Thursday. Also, an anti-war demonstration in Istanbul quickly turned into a rally against the ruling party, the AKP.
Earlier, police fired tear gas to repel a small group of anti-war protesters heading towards Parliament in Ankara, chanting "We do not want war" and "the Syrians are our brothers."

According to a survey by the Hurriyet newspaper, 60% of Turks are opposed to the deployment of military forces along the Syrian border for fear that the country will be embroiled in a conflict there.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org