NATO radar to be deployed in southeast: ministry

Ankara (AFP)
Sept 9, 2011

An early warning radar Turkey is planning to host as part of NATO's missile defense system will be deployed in a military facility base near Malatya in the southeast, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.

"The radar will be installed in a military base in Kurecik," in Malatya province, said the ministry in a statement.

Kurecik was hosting a US radar base in the past. The ministry statement also recalled that Turkey benefited from the base in the past for similar purposes.

The radar base is expected to be operational by the end of this year, according to the private NTV television.

Leaders of the 28-member NATO alliance gave their backing last year for the Europe-wide ballistic missile shield -- which US officials say is aimed at thwarting missile threats from the Middle East, particularly Iran.

Tehran criticized Ankara's decision, saying it would create tension and lead to "complicated consequences."

Turkey, a member of NATO since 1952, said the missile system targeted no specific country, adding that it only aimed at defending the NATO sphere.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/NATO_radar_to_be_deployed_in_southeast_ministry_999.html.