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NATO says to continue to ‘augment’ Turkey air defenses

Tuesday, 01 December 2015 6:35 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 01 December 2015 7:29 PM ]

The file photo shows a German military truck carrying NATO’s Patriot Missile Defense System in Turkey. (Photo by AP)

NATO says it is mulling the augmentation of Turkey's air defenses, amid a rift between Moscow and Ankara over the downing of a Russian plane by the Turkish military.

“We will work on further measures to assure Turkey’s security,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the start of a two-day meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member states in Brussels on Tuesday.

“We now are addressing how we can continue to augment the air defenses of Turkey, how we can continue to follow up the standing defense plans for Turkey,” Stoltenberg stated.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (Reuters Photo)

In October, the United States withdrew its missile system from Turkey for upgrade. Germany also removed its Patriot battery from Turkey. Currently, Spain is the only NATO ally with Patriot missile batteries in Turkey.

The Unites States has already deployed F-15 war planes to Turkey and Britain is also ready to deploy aircraft as part of the new NATO measures, while Germany and Denmark have offered to contribute command ships to NATO naval forces, some of which are stationed in the Mediterranean Sea, according to Stoltenberg.

“I also expect other allies to make further commitments, and we expect to take some new decisions within weeks on the assurance measures for Turkey,” Stoltenberg said.

On the same note, Canada’s Foreign Minister Stephane Dion said upon arrival in Brussels for the NATO meeting, “We need to support Turkey.”

On November 24, the Turkish military shot down a Russian fighter jet near the Turkey-Syria border. Ankara alleged the aircraft had violated the Turkish airspace. Russia rejected the claim.

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