Erdogan Says Turkey has No Intention of Attacking Syria

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey has no intention of attacking Syria over its recent downing of a fighter jet.

"As Turkey, the Turkish nation, we have no intention of attacking" Syria, Erdogan said during a military ceremony in Ankara.

"We don't have any hostile intent towards any country," added Erdogan.

Turkey branded its former ally Syria "a clear and imminent threat" on Tuesday as Erdogan vented his fury over last week's downing of the Turkish jet over the eastern Mediterranean. The two-man crew is still missing.

Erdogan was once a friend and ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

But their relations have broken down since the revolt erupted in Syria last year, sending more than 33,000 refugees across the border into Turkey.