Ankara (TDI): Turkiye announced on Tuesday that a US Patriot air defense system has been deployed in its southeast near the Kurecik NATO radar base, as part of efforts by NATO to bolster the country’s defenses against missile threats from Iran.
The Kurecik radar base in Malatya province plays a critical role for the alliance and helped detect two Iranian ballistic missiles aimed toward Turkey in the past week.
Iran has denied targeting Turkiye directly, insisting it is not at war with regional neighbors. Nevertheless, Ankara has warned Tehran against launching any further missiles, a topic discussed during a phone call between the two countries’ presidents on Monday.
Turkiye’s defense ministry said, “In addition to national measures, NATO air and missile defense capabilities have been strengthened. Within this framework, a Patriot system is being deployed to Malatya to help protect our airspace.”
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The ministry added that Turkiye will continue monitoring regional developments and coordinating closely with NATO allies. The deployment comes as the US considers repositioning military assets, including Patriot batteries currently stationed in South Korea, though details of their exact origin remain unclear.
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Despite being a major regional military power and having NATO’s second-largest army, Turkey does not yet possess a fully independent air defense network. It has previously relied on NATO systems in the eastern Mediterranean during recent missile incidents. Currently, one Patriot system from Spain is already stationed in Turkey as part of NATO’s regional defenses.
