Turkish PM doesn't want war with Syria

AKCAKALE, Turkey — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that his country does not want war with Syria but that it is determined to protect its borders and people.

Erdogan was speaking at a news conference held hours after Turkey's Parliament approved a bill authorizing military operations against Syria.

Earlier Thursday, Turkey fired on targets in Syria for a second day following a Syrian shelling that killed five civilians in a Turkish border town.

Erdogan suggested the Syrian shelling was not accidental, saying that such shells had fallen on Turkish territory on seven previous occasions since the civil war began there.

"We want peace and security and nothing else. We could never want to start a war, " Erdogan said. "Turkey is a country which is capable of protecting its people and borders. No one should attempt to test our determination on the issue."

He was speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Iranian Vice-President Reza Rahimiin in the city of Akcakale.