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Turkey to request NATO missiles on Syria border - German paper
November 17, 2012 - 18:02 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey will formally ask NATO on Monday to set up
missiles on its border with Syria due to growing concern about
spillover from a 20-month-old civil war in its neighbor, a German
newspaper reported on Saturday, November 17, according to RIA Novosti.
The Munich-based Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which did not cite its sources,
also said that up to 170 German soldiers could be deployed as part of
the mission.
Turkey said on Friday it had intensified talks with NATO allies on how
to shore up security on its 900-km (560-mile) frontier with Syria
after mortar rounds fired from Syria landed inside its territory.
"As we have said before, there have been talks between Turkey and NATO
and NATO allies on various issues regarding the security risks and
challenges and possible responses to issues regarding Turkey-NATO
territories," a Turkish government official said, when asked about the
Sueddeutsche Zeitung report.
"Normally we could not reveal the nature of NATO deliberations while
they continue," added the official.
NATO has said it will do what it takes to protect and defend Turkey.
Turkey has said it is talking to its NATO allies about a possible
deployment of Patriot surface-to-air missiles.
A NATO spokeswoman said she could not confirm the report. "There
hasn't been a request from Turkey. If there is a request from Turkey
of course allies will consider it," she said.
NATO ambassadors would have to consider any request from Turkey and
they have a regular weekly meeting next Wednesday but they could call
a special one at any time. European Union defense and foreign
ministers will be in Brussels on Monday for meetings.
For Germany, deploying troops abroad is a sensitive subject, even more
than 65 years after the end of World War Two. It is unclear if such a
mission would require the approval of the Bundestag lower house.
A spokesman for Germany's defense ministry also said NATO would
consider any request from Turkey and confirmed that the United States,
the Netherlands and Germany were the countries that had the
appropriate Patriot missiles available.
"If NATO were to ask Germany, we would consider that and bear in mind
our duties in the alliance," said the spokesman.
2
From: Baghdasarian
November 17, 2012 - 18:02 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey will formally ask NATO on Monday to set up
missiles on its border with Syria due to growing concern about
spillover from a 20-month-old civil war in its neighbor, a German
newspaper reported on Saturday, November 17, according to RIA Novosti.
The Munich-based Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which did not cite its sources,
also said that up to 170 German soldiers could be deployed as part of
the mission.
Turkey said on Friday it had intensified talks with NATO allies on how
to shore up security on its 900-km (560-mile) frontier with Syria
after mortar rounds fired from Syria landed inside its territory.
"As we have said before, there have been talks between Turkey and NATO
and NATO allies on various issues regarding the security risks and
challenges and possible responses to issues regarding Turkey-NATO
territories," a Turkish government official said, when asked about the
Sueddeutsche Zeitung report.
"Normally we could not reveal the nature of NATO deliberations while
they continue," added the official.
NATO has said it will do what it takes to protect and defend Turkey.
Turkey has said it is talking to its NATO allies about a possible
deployment of Patriot surface-to-air missiles.
A NATO spokeswoman said she could not confirm the report. "There
hasn't been a request from Turkey. If there is a request from Turkey
of course allies will consider it," she said.
NATO ambassadors would have to consider any request from Turkey and
they have a regular weekly meeting next Wednesday but they could call
a special one at any time. European Union defense and foreign
ministers will be in Brussels on Monday for meetings.
For Germany, deploying troops abroad is a sensitive subject, even more
than 65 years after the end of World War Two. It is unclear if such a
mission would require the approval of the Bundestag lower house.
A spokesman for Germany's defense ministry also said NATO would
consider any request from Turkey and confirmed that the United States,
the Netherlands and Germany were the countries that had the
appropriate Patriot missiles available.
"If NATO were to ask Germany, we would consider that and bear in mind
our duties in the alliance," said the spokesman.
2
From: Baghdasarian