Turkey to ask NATO for Patriot missiles: report

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will imminently lodge an official request with NATO asking the military alliance to deploy Patriot missiles along its border with Syria to guard against violence spilling over, a senior Turkish foreign ministry official said on Wednesday.

If approved, the deployment would represent a further deterioration in relations between Turkey and Syria - once close allies - and see more military hardware poured into a region where tensions are already high.

ca.reuters.com...

Nothing says get off my lawn like a bunch of patriot missiles.

With upwards of approximately 38,000 killed to date, i can understand Turkey's desire to contain the violence and prevent it splashing over to their territory.

but....Are patriot missiles actually necessary?

We are talking about poorly armed rebels and a Syrian Army that would be out of the mind to drag another country, especially Turkey, into the fray.

In my opinion, the more destructive weapons that flood into the area, the greater the possibilities for "accidental" or unintentional use of said weapons. If this was to happen, intentional or not, I fear the conflict would spread like a wild fire consuming all and increasing the death toll.

We are already seeing this conflict draw groups from the surrounding areas, as mentioned in the article:

PALESTINIAN INFIGHTING

Highlighting how Palestinian refugees have been drawn into the conflict, rebels killed 10 members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), which is loyal to Assad, in fighting near the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk in Damascus, opposition sources said.

The increase in the number players only adds to the complexity of this issue and further prolongs the violence as certain groups try to "settle old debts".

reply to post by MDDoxs

Syria's war, in which the opposition estimates 38,000 people have been killed, raises the specter of wider Middle East turbulence and poses one of the greatest foreign policy challenges for U.S. President Barack Obama as he starts his second term.

Well, being as Obama's track record hasn't been all that great where Foreign policies are concerned, guess we'll see what he does now that the election is over.

"Analysts said Obama had been unable to make bold moves on Syria during the election period because of the risk that doing so would hurt his popularity."

Maybe he'll improve his handling of foreign affairs in the next 4 years.........maybe.

reply to post by snarky412

Maybe he'll improve his handling of foreign affairs in the next 4 years.........maybe.

Quite true. Obama has given the impression that he withheld critical decisions, on numerous occasions because of the election. Whether this was appropriate or not for a leader of the US, that is for another thread to decide.

None the less, i too expect a formal decision or lack of decision to made from the Obama administration on the Syrian conflict soon.

With all the odd choice to back the Syrian opposition, amidst the numerous human rights violations, would certainly of hurt him politically on some level.

However, if he is to stay true to his foreign policy promises, he most likely will not get overly involved, but i am sure he wont mind providing Turkey with these patriot missiles....discretely ofcourse

Originally posted by MDDoxs

Nothing says get off my lawn like a bunch of patriot missiles.

Now THAT was the big picture.

Hope we don't have to contend with those missiles in five or ten years.

reply to post by badgerprints


It would not be the first time weapons of destructive power have gone missing, so your concerns are well founded

Aren't PM's surface to air missles?

This is actually expected news.

From back in June...

Amid growing uncertainties ignited by the unfolding 14-month-old Syrian crisis and escalating tension between Iran and the West, Turkey is preparing to purchase a long-range air defense system worth $4 billion to beef up its defense capabilities in order to avert any threat to its national security.
Turkey has sped up the procurement process of the system in recent months and will reach a final decision in an upcoming meeting of the Defense Industry Implementation Committee (SSİK), which will be led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 4, sources from the Ministry of Defense said.

The Patriot missile long-range air defense system produced by US partners Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, Russia's Rosoboronexport with its S-400 system, China's HQ9, exported as FD-2000, and Italian-French Eurosam with its SAMP/T Aster 30 are the main competitors for the tender.

Turkey has dismissed NATO's early warnings to not purchase non-Western systems, namely Chinese and Russian systems, to prevent them from accessing classified NATO information.

Turkey to purchase long-range air defense system

Turkey has NATO nuclear weapons on their soil and are a partner in the F-35 program, I don't see an issue with the proposition of upgrading their air defense network?

A Patriot battery isn't a MANPADS like a Stinger or SA-7. The entire system has a sizable footprint that requires technically competent operators and takes a certain level of expertise and spare parts to keep operational.

Nobody is worried about rogue interests fielding an SA-2, I think the Patriot can be considered safe with Turkish operators.

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
Aren't PM's surface to air missles?

Yep, strictly a defensive system.