Türkiye has said that a Patriot air defence system is being prepared for operational readiness in eastern Türkiye as part of efforts coordinated with NATO to help protect the country’s airspace amid the ongoing regional tensions.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defence said the Turkish Armed Forces remain “fully committed to ensuring the security of our country and our citizens” amid the recent regional developments.
“In light of recent developments in our region, necessary measures are being taken to secure our borders and airspace, and we are in consultations with NATO and our Allies,” the ministry said.
It added that, alongside national security measures, the alliance has reinforced its regional defence posture.
“In addition to the national measures we have implemented, NATO has enhanced air and missile defence measures,” the statement said.
“As part of this framework, a Patriot System is currently in Malatya and is being prepared for operational readiness to support the protection of our airspace,” the ministry noted.
Malatya hosts an early-warning radar station, installed by NATO in 2012, to detect ballistic missiles.
NATO air defence systems intercepted another missile launched from Iran and heading towards Türkiye on Monday, marking the second such incident involving Iranian missiles entering Turkish airspace in the past week.
Ankara ensures its security at highest level
The ministry said Türkiye would continue coordinating with the alliance on defence and security matters.
“Our country, which maintains its defence and security capacity at the highest level, will continue to assess developments in cooperation and consultation with NATO and our Allies, and strive for regional peace and stability,” the statement said.
The announcement came amid regional tensions due to the ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The tensions escalated since Israel and the US launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, which have so far killed around 1,300 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and several Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Iran also said it closed the Strait of Hormuz around March 1.
The strategic waterway normally handles about 20 million barrels of oil shipments daily and roughly 20 percent of the global liquefied natural gas trade.
