NATO Patriots soon to be deployed in Turkey. Defensive… (updated)
(BRUSSELS2) The German and Dutch ministers had indicated this on Monday when they arrived in Brussels for the Council of Defense Ministers. He was expecting a formal Turkish request for protection by NATO forces at any time. It took a few more hours.
Political gesture
And it was finally on Wednesday that NATO Secretary General AF Rasmussen confirmed that he had " received a letter from the Turkish government requesting the deployment of Patriot missiles ". This deployment has a specific military objective: to increase Turkey's air defense capability. to defend the people and territory of Turkey but it is also and above all a political gesture. It would be " a concrete demonstration of the Alliance's solidarity and determination ».
Defensive objective, well almost
In its letter, the Turkish government emphasizes that the deployment will be " only defensive ", and that it aims " in no way to support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation ". Accuracy that is not useless. The function of a Patriot battery, a priori, turned towards anti-missile defense allows it to target planes as well. It was besides its first function at the origin of anti-aircraft defense. And its range - of 60 km at least - would allow it, if it is well placed, near the border to water a good part of the Syrian territory. Even not used in "offensive", its mere presence could thus limit the air raids of the regime, at least in the limits close to the border with Turkey.
All vite
On Monday, the NATO Secretary General told the press that this request would be examined in a " priority ". It will be. NATO should discuss the Turkish request “ without delay ". If approved, the deployment will proceed in accordance with the NATO air defense plan ". But it will be up to each NATO country that has modernized Patriots PAC3 (Germany, the Netherlands and the United States) “ to decide if they can deploy these assets in Türkiye and for how long ". In any case, a joint team will travel to Turkey to assess the possible deployment.
This type of battery had already been deployed during the Gulf War in 1991 and 2003. At that time, however, France in particular had refused the use of NATO assets. And it was the Americans, bilaterally, who had deployed resources, under certain conditions imposed by the Turkish government. Moreover, Ankara officially refuses that American troops use Turkey as a rear base for their operations in Iraq.
(Update) The Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting at ambassadorial level this Wednesday (November 21) had a political discussion on the issue. The Turkish request was “ well received a diplomat told us. The military was tasked with preparing the planning for the deployment. The United States should also deploy resources alongside the Germans and the Dutch. And the final authorization should be given before the Defense Ministerial in early December.
