PANETTA DOWNPLAYS TURKISH TROOPS GATHERING ON SYRIAN BORDER

Replying to a question whether he was concerned that tensions would escalate, Panetta told a news conference in Washington that Turkey has maintained troops along the border and he downplays the movement in question.

Panetta said that Turkey is a U.S. ally in the region and they are staying in contact with Turkey. Chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey added that if a country lost two pilots after a hostile attitude, this would increase the risk of tensions.

General Dempsey said that Turkish Chief of General Staff General Necdet Özel was taking a very measured approach to the incident and they were staying in contact.