Turkey has announced the deployment of a Patriot anti-missile air defence system in eastern Anatolia in order to reinforce the protection of its airspace and in response to the threat from Iran, after two Iranian ballistic missiles were intercepted in less than a week after invading Turkish airspace.
“The Turkish Armed Forces are fully committed to ensuring the security of our country and our citizens. In light of recent developments in our region, necessary measures are being taken to secure our borders and airspace, and consultations with NATO and our allies are ongoing,” the Turkish defence ministry said in a statement issued on 10 March, as reported by Turkish media.
“In addition to the measures we have taken at the national level, NATO has increased its air and missile defence measures. In this framework, a Patriot system, assigned to support the protection of our airspace, has been deployed in Malatya. Maintaining its defence and security capabilities at the highest level, our country will continue to assess developments in cooperation and consultation with NATO and our allies, and will continue to strive for regional peace and stability,” the statement concluded.
The official note did not specify which allied country provided the Patriot system. During the early years of the Syrian civil war, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain deployed Patriot air defence systems in Turkey; but of these, only the Patriot deployed by Spain currently remains at the İncirlik air base in the southern province of Adana, where one of the main US military bases in the region is located.
Patriots to be deployed at Malatya, home to a NATO radar site
On 4 March, an Iranian-launched missile heading towards Turkish airspace was intercepted and neutralised by NATO air defence elements deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean; yesterday, it was announced that another ballistic missile launched from Iranian territory was intercepted, the second such incident in less than a week. In both cases no casualties or injuries were reported. Iran reacted in both cases by assuring that it had not launched missiles against Turkish territory and claiming that it respected “the sovereignty of Türkiye, a friendly and neighbouring country”.
The MIM-104 Patriot is a long-range missile defence system designed to counter aircraft, cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles. Manufactured by the US company Raytheon, the system is used by several countries, mainly the US, and is part of NATO’s integrated air defence structure. The choice of Malatya is no coincidence, as this eastern Turkish province – located some 500 kilometres from the Iranian border – is home to one of NATO’s most important radar stations, located in the Kürecik area.
Erdoğan warns Iran: “These attacks must stop“
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reacted to these Iranian missile incidents by saying that “Despite our sincere warnings, extremely wrong and provocative steps continue to be taken that endanger Turkey’s friendship.”
During a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on 9 March, the Turkish leader made it clear that the violations of Turkish airspace “cannot be excused for any reason whatsoever” and that “Türkiye will continue to take all necessary measures against this”, according to the presidency’s communications office.
“Turkey does not approve of illegal interventions against Iran, nor of Iran attacking countries in the region,” Erdoğan told Pezeshkian, stressing that “Targeting brotherly countries does not benefit anyone” and warning the Iranian president that “These actions must stop.”
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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