Turkey has called on NATO and is installing a second Patriot missile battery in the city of Malatya near the alliance’s radar site in Kurecik, after what officials describe as a second attack from Iran two days ago.
The Turkish Defense Ministry said necessary measures are being taken for the security of the country’s borders and airspace and that Ankara is in consultations with NATO.
“In addition to the national measures we have implemented, NATO has strengthened air defense and missile defense measures,” the ministry said. According to the ministry, a Patriot system is currently in Malatya and is being prepared for operational readiness to support the protection of Turkish airspace.
Reports say the Patriot missiles for Kurecik came from Germany, specifically from NATO’s Ramstein air base. CNN Turk reported the system is a more advanced Patriot PAC-3 model than the Spanish systems deployed at Incirlik and is described as capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.Information also indicates that two missiles fired from Iran were detected by the radar base in Kurecik.
Both missiles were intercepted by two US military ships deployed in the eastern Mediterranean and assigned to NATO’s regional air defense, equipped with SM-3 anti-ballistic missiles.
In telephone calls with Iranian counterparts, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that Turkey cannot tolerate such attacks, while Iranian officials said no attacks had been launched from their country.
Opposition politicians and analysts argue Turkey lacks reliable air defense because of past policy decisions, particularly the purchase of Russian S-400 systems that remain unused and cannot be integrated into NATO’s air defense network.