NATO is considering strengthening its ballistic missile defense presence in Turkey in response to potential threats from neighboring Iran, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.
The alliance has already stationed a missile defense battery in eastern Turkey to protect an early-warning radar that monitors missile activity across the Middle East. It is now evaluating the deployment of an additional Patriot system to reinforce security at an air base hosting US troops, one source said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The possible move comes after NATO intercepted missiles launched from Iran, an episode that Turkish officials view as a test of the alliance’s response capabilities, according to sources familiar with Ankara’s thinking.
An AN/TPY-2 radar system located in Kürecik, eastern Turkey, is believed to have been a likely target of at least one of the missiles, the sources said. The radar is among the closest early-warning systems monitoring Iran.
NATO did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Turkey’s Defense Ministry declined to comment.
A senior military official has indicated that the alliance is continuing to adapt to evolving threats. Since the start of the conflict, Iran has reportedly sought to undermine US early-warning systems, including through a strike that destroyed a similar radar installation in Jordan, a key component of missile defense operations in the Gulf.
Turkey’s İncirlik Air Base in the south, which hosts NATO forces and hundreds of US personnel, is also seen as a potential target. NATO is considering deploying a PAC-3 Patriot battery there, one of the sources said. The base has hosted a Spanish-operated PAC-2 system for more than a decade, primarily designed to counter aircraft and cruise missiles rather than ballistic threats.
Since March 4, NATO air and missile defense systems in the eastern Mediterranean have intercepted three missiles launched from Iran.
One of the interceptions occurred over İncirlik on Friday. The base has previously been used in operations against the Islamic State group and to enforce a no-fly zone over northern Iraq during the rule of Saddam Hussein.