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Turkey announced today the deployment of a new NATO Patriot air defense system at the Incirlik military base in the south of the country, where US forces are also stationed. The decision comes after the interception in early March of three ballistic missiles launched towards Turkish territory by Iran.
" A new 'Patriot' system, commanded by the Allied Air Command in Ramstein (Germany), is in the process of being deployed as an addition to the Spanish 'Patriot' system already in operation ," the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The new system, the "PAC-3" type, is considered more advanced than the "PAC-2" version that was previously deployed at Incirlik and is designed to neutralize tactical ballistic missiles.
Ankara also announced last week the deployment of a Patriot system at the Kurecik air base in the east of the country, about 250 kilometers from Incirlik.
This strategic facility is equipped with a NATO early warning radar capable of detecting missile launches from Iran. American troops are also stationed at this base, in the Malatya province.
"All necessary measures are being taken to confront threats to our national security," the Turkish Defense Ministry stressed.
Turkey said on Saturday it had presented Iran with technical evidence of missile launches towards its territory, after Tehran denied any responsibility. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not allow the country to back down from provocations.
"Our top priority is to prevent our country from being caught in this fire ," he said, referring to the war in the Middle East, which has entered its 19th day.
Incirlik Air Base, near the city of Adana, is used by several countries, including the US, Spain, Poland and Qatar, under NATO and bilateral agreements.
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