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Rasmussen Expects NATO To Back Turkish Request For Missiles

December 04, 2012

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says he is confident the alliance will approve Turkey's request for the deployment of surface-to-air missiles to protect that country from possible attacks from neighboring Syria.

Rasmussen was speaking ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on December 4.

Russia, a longtime Syria ally, has warned the deployment could aggravate hostilities.

"As we have already made clear, any deployment would be defensive only," Rasmussen said, seemingly to address Moscow's concerns. "It would in no way support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation."

Rasmussen said he expected the deployment to come "within weeks" after approval by NATO allies that possess Patriot missiles.

The United States, Germany, and the Netherlands are the only countries that can deploy the weapons.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and RFE/RL

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/nato-turkey-patriot-missile-request/24788967.html

Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.