Turkey has deployed a U.S.-made Patriot air defense system in the country’s southeast near a NATO radar base in Kürecik, as part of efforts to strengthen the alliance’s air defense against missile threats linked to the conflict involving Iran.
According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, the system is being installed in Malatya province, where the NATO radar base in Kürecik is located. The facility provides critical data for NATO’s missile defense network.
Officials noted that radars at the Kürecik base recently helped identify two Iranian ballistic missiles that were launched toward Turkish territory last week.
Iran has insisted that it is not at war with regional countries and has denied directly targeting Turkey. However, Ankara has warned Tehran not to launch missiles in its direction, an issue that was also discussed during a phone call between the two countries’ presidents earlier this week.
“As part of the measures we are taking at the national level, NATO has also increased air and missile defense measures. In this context, a Patriot system is being deployed in Malatya to contribute to the protection of our airspace,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Turkish authorities added that they will continue monitoring regional developments and coordinating with NATO allies.
