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Patriot batteries begin arriving in Turkey

623 views · Published 22 February 2013 · 0:55 · Indexed 5 October 2026

Channel: News Direct · 2013 · News & Politics

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The first of six NATO Patriot missiles batteries destined for Turkey's border with Syria arrived in Turkey on Monday. The German Patriot batteries arrived on a ship that docked in the southern Turkish port of Iskunderun. Germany, The Netherlands and the US will each provide two batteries that will be stationed along the border to protect from any potential Syrian attacks on border towns.
According to Reuters, "Iran and Russia, which have supported Syria throughout the uprising, have criticized NATO's decision, saying the Patriot deployment would intensify a conflict that most foreign governments have been reluctant to get sucked into.
Turkey and NATO have strongly denied the Patriot missiles are a precursor to a no-fly zone that Syrian rebels have been requesting to help them hold territory against a government with overwhelming firepower from the air.
Tensions have increased in recent weeks after NATO said it had detected launches of short-range ballistic missiles inside Syria, several of which have landed close to the Turkish border. Turkey has scrambled war planes along the frontier, fanning fears the war could spread and further destabilize the region.
The German Patriot batteries, whose deployment was approved by NATO in early December at Turkey's request, will travel by road convoy from Iskenderun to be deployed around the city of Kahramanmaras, some 100 km (62 miles) from the Syrian border.
The Dutch missiles, which are expected to arrive by ship on Tuesday, will be stationed further to the west outside the city of Adana, about 120 km from Syria.
The US missile batteries are expected to arrive later this month and will be deployed further to the east in Gaziantep, which is about 60 km from the frontier.
Advance troops as well as equipment from all three NATO countries had already begun arriving by air in preparation but Monday's delivery marks the first of the actual missile batteries to arrive on Turkish soil."

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