German government agrees to keep Patriot missiles in Turkey until 2016

[Hindustani78]

German government agrees to keep Patriot missiles in Turkey until 2016| Reuters
BERLIN Wed Jan 7, 2015 11:24am EST

(Reuters) - Germany's cabinet on Wednesday agreed to keep two German Patriot missile batteries in southern Turkey for another year, where they are deployed as part of a NATO mission to defend Turkey's border with Syria.

The mandate, which needs approval from parliament, allows a maximum of 400 German soldiers to serve in NATO-member Turkey until January 2016.

The United States, Germany and the Netherlands all deployed Patriots in early 2013, after Turkey asked NATO for help protecting its territory as civil war in Syria intensified. Shells fired from Syrian territory frequently land in Turkey.

The Dutch will end their participation at the end of January and will be replaced by Spanish units.

(Reporting by Alexandra Hudson; Editing by Larry King)

 

[Neptune]

I am cool with it as long as German taxpayers keep up paying for it. It's called vengeance b¡tch!

 

[Hindustani78]

The Netherlands, Germany and the United States had each sent two Patriot missile batteries and soldiers to operate them in early 2013, after Turkey, a NATO ally, called for aid to defend itself against attacks from Syria on its southern border. Approximately 400 German troops are operating the Patriots in Kahramanmaraş, a province some 100 kilometers north of the border with Syria.