Turkey asks NATO to extend deployment of Patriot missiles
Iran Press TV
Wed Nov 13, 2013 1:25PM GMT
Turkey has requested NATO to extend the deployment of surface-to-air Patriot missiles on its soil for another year, officials say.
'We have received a letter from the Turkish government requesting the continuation of the Patriot mission,' AFP quoted an unnamed NATO official as saying on Wednesday.
'The North Atlantic Council has regularly assessed the situation and the implementation of the Patriot mission. It is clear that the overall risks and threats to Turkey remain serious,' the official said.
The NATO military alliance approved a request by Turkey for the deployment of Patriot surface-to-air missiles along the border region with Syria on December 4, 2012.
The agreement emerged from a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
The Western alliance says the missiles are to avoid dangers caused by the crisis in Syria. However, countries like Iran, Russia and China have repeatedly voiced their opposition to the deployment, saying the move will only increase regional tensions.
Turkish people have held several demonstrations against the military plan. The Syrian government has also censured the move, calling it another act of provocation from Ankara.
Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
IA/SS
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