Syrian army 'paranoid,' Turkish President Gül says

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

AFP photo

The shooting down of an unarmed Turkish plane by Syria shows the level of paranoia that has gripped the country's armed forces, President Abdullah Gül said today.
 
Gül spoke during the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) summit in Istanbul, where he said Turkey would not tolerate the downing of its plane by Syria.
 
The reason for the Turkish jet being near Syria had nothing to do with the internal conflict the country was experiencing, Gül said. "The plane would have been outfitted with different equipment had it been sent with hostile intentions. It was on a peaceful mission."
 
Syria shot down a Turkish military jet on June 22, sparking a crisis between the two countries.