1st LD Writetru: Patriot system deployed in eastern Türkiye for airspace protection

ANKARA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A Patriot air defense system assigned by NATO to support Türkiye's airspace has been deployed in the eastern province of Malatya and is being prepared for operational readiness, the country's defense ministry said on Tuesday.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the ministry confirmed that NATO has strengthened its air and missile defense measures, complementing Türkiye's national defense measures.

"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 statement said.

Malatya hosts the Kurecik radar base, an early-warning facility that is part of NATO's ballistic missile defense system.

The ministry added that Türkiye will continue to assess developments in coordination and consultation with NATO and its allies. It also reaffirmed the country's commitment to regional peace and stability.

The move followed the interception of a missile launched from Iran over Türkiye's southeastern province of Gaziantep on Monday. The munition was neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean, with no casualties reported.

The development came amid heightened regional tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, to which Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. assets across the Middle East. Enditem