File photo.
ANKARA – Turkey said Wednesday Germany would send it a Patriot missile defense system for a six-month deployment from June to replace a system deployed as part of NATO measures in southeast Turkey to bolster air defenses amid the war in Iran.
In March, Ankara said a US Patriot system was deployed to southeast Turkey, near a NATO radar base, in the face of missile threats from Iran. NATO defenses shot down four ballistic missiles launched from Iran during the war.
“In addition to the Spanish Patriot air defense system currently deployed in our country, one of the two additional Patriot systems deployed by NATO due to the conflicts between the US, Israel, and Iran will be replaced by a German system,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“This replacement is planned to be completed in June, and the system is expected to remain operational for approximately six months,” it said, adding security evaluations will continue in coordination with allies.
