Tag: NATO radar system

  • The Geopolitical Significance, Or Lack Thereof, Of Turkey’s NATO Radar

    The Geopolitical Significance, Or Lack Thereof, Of Turkey’s NATO Radar

    by Joshua Kucera

  • Patriots’ Main Mission in Turkey: Protect NATO Radar

    Patriots’ Main Mission in Turkey: Protect NATO Radar

    ANKARA — While the last of six Patriot anti-missile batteries are deployed in Turkey, ostensibly to protect Turkish airspace from a potential missile strike from neighboring Syria, some officials claim the primary purpose is to protect a radar that would track Iranian missile launches.

    The fifth Patriot battery stationed in Turkey became operational Feb. 5 and deployment of the sixth is near completion. Officials and analysts here said the mini missile defense architecture actually provides the pretext to protect a U.S.-owned, NATO-assigned radar deployed since last year in Turkey in the event hostilities break out with Iran.

    The five current Patriot batteries, belonging to the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands, are operating under NATO command and control. NATO says the missile defense system will protect roughly 3.5 million Turks in the country’s south and southeast. The mission is expected to last up to one year but NATO officials say this can be shortened or extended.

    “It won’t be shortened but definitely extended,” said a missile defense expert here. “The Patriots are here to protect the NATO [missile defense] radar in Kurecik.”

    A NATO official based in Brussels told Defense News that “the NATO deployment in Turkey is for defensive purposes. The system has been designed to de-escalate the tension in neighboring Syria and to deter and counter any possible missile threat to Turkish territory.”

    Asked if the Patriots could be used against potential missile attacks from Iran, the official said, “I said ‘any missile threat,’ which should be clear enough to mean ‘any threat’ against Turkey. What matters is that this deployment will augment Turkey’s air defense system.”

    Last year, Turkey, a NATO member, agreed to station the U.S. early warning missile detection and tracking radar system in Kurecik in the country’s southeast. Ankara has said that because of Turkish support for the armed opposition groups fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, it fears Syria could attack Turkey with Scud and Scud-derivative missiles tipped with chemical warheads in a final, desperate act.

    Assad, whose regime has been fighting rebels in a civil war that has already claimed 60,000 lives, has said he would never use chemical weapons against his people but would against foreign invaders.

    A senior Turkish diplomat dealing with Syria said the threat of Syrian chemical weapons was not as serious as it sounds.

    “It’s always a risk when you have a dictator as neighbor who possesses chemical weapons and missile capabilities to deliver these weapons. But, honestly, we are not sleep-deprived because of that. Assad may be a ruthless dictator but not an insane man,” the diplomat said.

    Another Turkish diplomat dealing with security issues talked about “possibly a double mission.” He said: “The Patriots can be used against the threat of cross-border attacks from Syria, but their essential mission is to protect the NATO radar.”

    And that brings Iran into the picture.

    “The U.S. encouragement for the deployment of the Patriots in areas near the NATO radar in Turkey was to do more with providing protection for this radar complex against Iranian threat than with protecting Turkey from Syrian threat,” said a prominent defense analyst. “The U.S. naval assets in the Mediterranean are unable to protect Kurecik from potential Iranian missile threat. Kurecik’s protection is essential for the alliance.”

    Kurecik’s mission is to provide U.S. naval assets in the Mediterranean with early warning and track information if Iran launched missiles at allies, including Israel, the analyst said.

    Ankara officially has argued that the Kurecik radar is not aimed at any specific country.

    But Moscow and Tehran, which have been staunch supporters of the Assad regime, have charged that deployment of NATO assets on Turkish soil are part of a wider plan by the U.S.-led alliance to neutralize Russian and Iranian missile capabilities. Russia has claimed that the Patriot deployment in Turkey is to protect the radar system in Kurecik.

    A military official said the location of the Patriot batteries and the radar makes any connection between the two impossible. The batteries are deployed in Adana, Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep. But the defense analyst disagrees.

    “Patriot is a road mobile system. It takes minutes to dismantle a battery, say in Kahramanmaras, and redeploy it closer to Kurecik in a matter of hours, and you can always do that quite discreetly, too,” he said. The distance between Kahramanmaras and Kurecik is about 200 kilometers.

    via Patriots’ Main Mission in Turkey: Protect NATO Radar | Defense News | defensenews.com.

  • Gul: Turkey Should Trust Its National Sources

    Gul: Turkey Should Trust Its National Sources

    Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Friday said that instability in the region was the greatest threat to the region.

    051812 gul turkey should trust its national sources 1Speaking to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga International Airport prior to his departure for NATO Security Summit in the United States, President Gul said that “Turkey paid high attention to stability in neighboring countries”.

    The preservation of stability is the task of those ruling in any country. The political crisis in Iraq is a sad occasion as a country rebuilding itself after a period of great unrest, Gul noted.

    Asked about the contents of his meeting with Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the regional administration in north of Iraq, on Thursday, President Gul said that Turkey talked with all groups and political actors in Iraq.

    We discussed the fight against terrorist organization PKK with Barzani, Gul stated.

    There are many serious problems in Iraq. Since the beginning, we wanted to see an Iraq in peace with its own people and neighbors, Gul stressed.

    Asked if the issue of Syria would come up in the United States and reminded about an interview Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave to a Russian TV channel, President Gul said that the problem was not one between Turkey and Syria.

    The Syrian case is one between Syrian people and the administration. Events related to the humanity and human rights do not get limited to those countries where they take place. The Syrian issue is a concern to the international community, Gul also said.

    Turkey hosts NATO early warning radar, shows importance it attaches to solidarity with alliance

    Turkey’s president said on Friday that Turkey showed the importance it attached to solidarity with NATO by hosting early warning radar in Kurecik town of the eastern province of Malatya.

    President Abdullah Gul said that heads of state and government of 60 countries as well as 28 NATO members would attend NATO Chicago summit.

    “We will declare a missile defense capability which aims to eliminate risks and threats of proliferation of ballistic missiles,” Gul told reporters before he flew from Turkish capital Ankara to the United States.

    Gul said NATO would also focus on what would be done after 2014, when the International Security Assistance Fund (ISAF) operation ended, and countries supporting the alliance operations would meet on the sidelines of the summit.

    “Turkey will make active contribution to decisions to be taken at the Chicago Summit,” Gul said.

    Gul said he would meet CEOs of leading U.S. companies and attend a conference on Turkey’s economy and foreign policy priorities during his stay in the United States.

    President Gul will participate in a conference on leadership at the Stanford University, hold talks in the Silicon Valley, and interview with U.S. media organs during his visit.

    Turkish president says Turkey should trust its national sources

    Turkey’s president said on Friday that Turkey should trust its national sources when commenting on an intelligence discussion between Turkey and the United States.

    President Abdullah Gul said Turkish people should trust statements of their government, concerned authorities, and the General Staff.

    “We should trust our national sources. If the government, concerned authorities, the General Staff make a statement, we all should trust that,” Gul told reporters before flying to the United States.

    Gul’s remarks came after U.S. Wall Street Journal wrote that the United States gave Turkey intelligence before Turkey staged an operation on a group of people sneaking into its territories in the southeastern town of Uludere that killed 34.

    President Gul said Turkey was cooperating with the United States in countering terrorism, and making use of U.S. capabilities.

    “Therefore, according to our statement, we got the preliminary intelligence from our sources, and I think it is not right to make such useless polemics,” Gul also said.

    The Wall Street Journal tied the Uludere attack to U.S. military drone, and said that US Predator provided intelligence regarding the incident in Uludere town of Turkey’s southeastern province of Sirnak in which 34 citizens were killed by the jets of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) on December 28, 2011.

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  • Turkey opposition party protests NATO radar system

    Turkey opposition party protests NATO radar system

    4Turkey flag

    Turkey. Photo: EPA

    On Sunday, a group of representatives from Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) staged a protest against a planned NATO early warning radar system in the Kurecik region of the country’s eastern province of Malatya.

    The ten lawmakers, including CHP deputy head Emine Ulker Tarhan, arrived in Kurecik wearing T-shirts which said ‘No to Missile Shield’.

    Turkey gave the go-ahead for the construction of a NATO radar on its territory in September 2011.

    TASS

    via Turkey opposition party protests NATO radar system : Voice of Russia.

  • ‘NATO radar undermines Turkey neutrality’

    ‘NATO radar undermines Turkey neutrality’

    The United States has reportedly confirmed for the first time that a controversial NATO radar base, part of a larger missile system, in eastern Turkey has begun operation.

    A top US Army commander has declared that American forces are manning the radar system in Turkey’s eastern province of Malatya.

    The system has been promoted by US and its European allies as part of a broader NATO “missile defense shield” in Europe that will place Iran and Russia within the range of US missiles.

    The US-led missile system has provoked strong criticism from Russia, claiming that the system is not defensive and is aimed at Russian soil.

    Press TV has conducted an interview with Michael Maloof, former Pentagon official, to share his opinion on this issue.

    The following is a transcript of the interview:

    Press TV: Mr.Maloof, first of all what is NATO after for the installation of such base in Turkey? I mean what does it gain from it?

    Maloof: Well the gain for NATO would be or they perceive to be as a missile threat from Iran primarily. The other aspect of it is that it can also be used as any missile system against the Russians and also could be turned into an offensive system.

    I think that is what the Russians are very, very concerned about and it generally does introduce a new ingredient of instability throughout the region because of that is particularly out of time when countries are trying to get along.

    And I think for the Russians specially represents a NATO’s further push eastward and which they believe has gone beyond their role of why they even exist for the first place.

    Press TV: Many say that Turkey is somehow playing into the hands of the West by allowing the installation of such a base there?

    Maloof: Well I think it was clearly a political decision on Turkey’s part. Turkey does not really have to fear from Iran so much as it needs to somehow maintain a tie with the West and still maintain its pasture in NATO itself.

    And it has been trying for years and years to get into the EU and they backed off from that it seems, but clearly Turkey has made a decision I think the politics behind it had to do with Turkey’s role and siding with Washington and [plot] the Saudis ultimately against Syria it is clearly for Turkey to show that it is backing the West in this case.

    And of course Turkey makes the caveat that well Israel will not gain access to any of the radar data and I think that is going to be difficult to maintain, not withstanding any assurance that they might use.

    Press TV: And cannot anything be done for the base to be scrapped? I mean the people for instance, what can they do?

    Maloof: Well people can rise up I guess and protest. I think the Turkish government was very reluctant to get into this and I think it conflicts with their zero policy, zero problem policy as they call it to begin the show side and I think it could have repercussions for Turkey ultimately with respect to its neighbors in the region.

    The reasoning behind Turkey’s decision I think again is political and I think they gonna have to weigh whether siding with Washington was really such a good idea.

    I do not think it is a very firm policy but the radar system can be moved, there is no question about that, it can be moved elsewhere and I think if the Turkish people are that concerned about it and protested enough, I think the message would get clear, would become clear to Ankara.

    AHK/JR

    via PressTV – ‘NATO radar undermines Turkey neutrality’.

  • DANGEROUS CROSSROADS: NATO launches radar in Turkey to target Russia, Iran and Syria

    DANGEROUS CROSSROADS: NATO launches radar in Turkey to target Russia, Iran and Syria

    Sergei Balmasov, Beijing

    Turkey has recently launched the early warning radar station, a part of NATO’s missile system, which the USA has been building near Russia’s borders. The radar station will be controlled from Germany. The station is located in the town of Malatya, which is 500 kilometers to the south-east of Ankara and some 700 kilometers from the border with Iran. Turkish and US servicemen will serve at the station.

    Turkey agreed to deploy the radar station on its territory in September 2011. Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan stated back then that the deployment of the radar in Turkey would be an important step for the whole region.

    Data from the station will be transferred to command posts in the United States and to the ships equipped with the AEGIS system (a sea-based missile defense system). NATO officials stated that the radar station was deployed in Turkey in connection with the growing threat for Iran to use small and medium range missiles in the Middle East.

    Several local politicians stood up against the deployment of the elements of NATO’s missile defense system in Turkey. They believe that the West would thus get Turkey involved in a possible conflict with Teheran.

    Needless to say, Iran was strongly against the deployment of the missile defense system in Turkey. Iranian officials claimed that such a move could only exacerbate tension in the region. Turkish officials responded with saying that the deployment of the missile defense system elements was not aimed against any other country.

    The deployment of the radar station raised concerns among other countries of the region indeed. The distance from the station to Syria, for example, is a bit more than 200 kilometers. Syrian President Bashar Assad pays a lot of attention to his missile potential. His generals are certain that hundreds of Syrian short-range missiles would guarantee no aggression against Syria. Syrian officials earlier stated that their country would shower Turkey and Israel with missiles in the case of aggression.

    Moreover, many Syrian analysts say that the deployment of the radar station in Turkey proves the preservation of the military alliance between Ankara and Tel Aviv. Israel will also be receiving data from the Turkish radar.

    Russia was not thrilled with the news either. NATO invited Russia to take part in the project, but the talks came to a standstill. Russia also tried to obtain legal guarantees saying that the system would not be aimed against her, but the US refused to do it.

    NATO’s Secretary General Rasmussen set out a hope that an adequate political agreement with Moscow could be achieved before the Russia-NATO summit, which is to take place in Chicago in the spring of the current year. However, chances for that are slim, because Russia will only be able to play the role of a silent observer. NATO can only offer Russia to sit and watch its strength growing.

    Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated in November 2011 that Russia would take a complex of measures in response to the deployment of the missile defense system in Europe. However, Konstantin Sivkov, the first vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, told Pravda.Ru that Russia had practically nothing to respond to the threat from NATO.

    “As for Iskander systems, they can be used against the objects of missile defense in Poland. Iskanders would have to be deployed either in Russia’s Kaliningrad region or in Belarus. However, it will be impossible to hit the targets in Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The radius of Iskander complexes is 280 kilometers. In addition, the Americans believe that they will be able to neutralize this virtual threat with the help of ATACMS missile complexes.

    “Russia will not be able to use nuclear weapons in this situation. We have our aviation, but I seriously doubt that Russian combat aviation will be able to win a battle just because of the enemy’s considerable superiority in the air.

    “We can use cruise missiles. However, Russia does not have enough vessels to patrol NATO’s coasts. There are also strategic aircraft that can launch cruise missiles and remain invulnerable to the enemy. However, the Russian arsenal of cruise missiles is not enough either. Our missiles can not be compared to the Tomahawks that can strike targets at distances of up to 2,500 kilometers,” the expert said.

    Sergei Balmasov

    via The 4th Media » DANGEROUS CROSSROADS: NATO launches radar in Turkey to target Russia, Iran and Syria.