Germany's Patriot missile systems that will be deployed close to the Syrian border have arrived at a port in southern Turkey, The Associated Press reports.

Germany, the Netherlands and the United States are providing two batteries each to protect NATO ally Turkey from any possible incoming ballistic missiles from Syria, where a vicious civil war has left at least 60,000 people dead.

Violence has also flared along Turkish-Syrian border. Shells fired from Syria have landed in Turkey, which has retaliated with artillery fire.

German soldiers unloaded trucks carrying the missile systems at the port of Iskenderun on Monday, Jan 21, while another ship, carrying the Dutch shipment, waited its turn anchored at the harbor.

Turkey has turned into one of the Syrian regime's harshest critics since the uprising began in March 2011.