Turkey and United States say that Washington will withdraw its Patriot missile batteries from the country in October after bolstering Ankara’s air defenses against threats from Syria’s civil war.
The NATO mandate for the two-year mission will run out in October and will not be renewed, but the US is prepared to return Patriot equipment and personnel to Turkey within one week if needed, a joint Turkish-US statement says.
“They will be redeployed to the US for critical modernization upgrades that will ensure the US missile defense force remains capable of countering evolving global threats and protecting Allies and partners, including Turkey,” the statement says.
It also emphasises that Washington remains committed to “support Turkey’s air defense capabilities, including against ballistic missile risks and threats.”
The move comes as Turkey and the US are preparing to jointly launch coordinated cross-border operations against Islamic State targets in northern Syria.
— AFP
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