Turkey in talks with NATO over Patriot missiles deployment

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey said Wednesday, Nov 7, it is in talks with NATO over the possible deployment of Patriot missiles on its soil amid the escalating conflict in neighboring Syria but the prime minister insisted that no request has yet been made, AFP reported.

"This issue [Patriots] is also coming up on the agenda within the framework of deliberations, preparations and contingency planning on the security of Turkey and NATO territories," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Selcuk Unal said.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in Indonesia, said: "No request has been made so far," according to the private Turkish television network NTV.

A NATO official in Brussels also said: "At this point we are not aware of any Turkish request."

Turkey has beefed up border security with tanks and anti-missile batteries in the face of the deadly conflict in Syria, which has occasionally spilled over into Turkish soil.