NATO's Christmas gift to Turkey: yes to the deployment of the Patriots

(BRUSSELS2) The Allies must today approve the Turkish request to deploy Patriot batteries on its territory to protect itself from possible Syrian attacks. This should be done during the first working session which brings together the Foreign Ministers of the 28 this afternoon after the lunch they will have had with the Russian Minister, Dimitri Lavrov.

A defensive deployment

This request has the " support from all allies said a diplomat present at the Alliance. But under certain conditions: it will be a defensive deployment, which cannot support the establishment of a no fly zone or an offensive”. The Patriots should not be thus arranged on the border line but in withdrawal. From a practical point of view, there will be a combination of location and range that will make such offensive use impossible he explained when we asked him about it.

Not a NATO operation, but an operation authorized by NATO

It is not NATO that deploys the batteries as such. These are the countries (Germany, Netherlands, USA). NATO only allows " to use these capabilities as part of the air defense plan”. Thus the duration of deployment, their location, the number of batteries and personnel involved depend on the decision of each State involved. But as for any commitment of the Alliance, the Atlantic Council (NAC meeting in formation of ambassadors) and commander of the forces in Europe (Saceur or DSaceur) will closely monitor and control this deployment.

A Christmas gift...

An assessment team from the countries concerned is on the ground to study the most suitable sites and the conditions for this deployment. Several sites are currently being inspected in the southeast and east of the country, according to Turkish media, including Diyarbakir (already used during the Gulf War), Şanlıurfa or Malatya.

Deployment should not be immediate but rapid. There is talk at Alliance HQ of a delay a few weeks (between 3 and 5 weeks)”. Deployment costs are borne by each State involved, according to the "deployer-pays" principle, and not according to common funding from the Alliance. However, nothing prevents the host country (Turkey) from providing some of the funding. In general, everything relating to the accommodation, catering and reception of Alliance soldiers is therefore the responsibility of the latter.