Secretary General: NATO and Turkey discuss extension of presence of missiles for 2016

Baku. 6 October. REPORT.AZ/ NATO and Turkey are discussing the possibility to extend the presence of Patriot system next year. Report informs citing the Russian media, this was stated by the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, at a press conference on the eve of a meeting of defense ministers of the alliance on October 8 in Brussels.

The Patriot batteries were deployed in Turkey in February 2013. Such a decision was explained by the US State Department as a need to protect the allies from possible air and missile strikes by the Syrian government forces.

Stoltenberg also said that the Alliance is concerned about Russia's actions in Syria and believes that Russian air strikes target not the Islamic State, but the Syrian opposition.

The Secretary General stressed that NATO noticed strengthening of the presence not only of the Air Force and Air Defense of Russia in Syria, but the naval contingent, "I will not mention figures, but I can confirm that we have observed a significant strengthening of Russia's military presence in Syria, Air Force, air defense systems, as well as ground troops associated with the air base they have. We also observed strengthening of naval ships and the presence of Russian naval power outside Syria or in the Eastern Mediterranean."