Turkey has asked Nato to deploy patriot missiles on its territory to help it defend itself against any Syrian attacks, the alliance said today.
"Such a deployment would augment Turkey's air defence capabilities to defend the population and territory of Turkey," Nato
secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement. "It would contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along
Nato's south-eastern border."
Mr Rasmussen said the alliance would discuss the request "without delay".
The alliance has deployed Patriot surface-to-air missiles to Turkey twice before, once in 1991 and later in 2003, during both Gulf Wars. Those missiles were provided by the Netherlands.
Turkey is talking to Nato allies about how to shore up security on its 900km (560 mile) frontier with Syria after mortar rounds fired from Syria landed inside its territory, increasing concerns about spillover from the civil war from its neighbour.
