The United States could supply Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) to Turkey due to the worsening situation of Ankara in the Syrian province of Idlib. This was stated by the Minister of National Defense of Turkey – Hulusi Akar.
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Earlier, Turkey requested the U.S. to deploy two Patriot missile-defence batteries on its southern border to prevent any future attacks by Russian-backed Syrian troops according to Bloomberg.
The declaration was almost instantly followed on Thursday by a spate of violence that left two Turkish soldiers dead and five wounded in Idlib, emphasizing the risks as two adamant powers assert their influence in northwestern Syria.
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The total number of Turkish soldiers killed in the Idlib area over the last three weeks has increased to 15 as pro-government forces, supported by Russian airpower, attempt to overwhelm the last major pocket of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.
The official, according to Bloomberg, said Turkey could use F-16 fighter jets to strike units loyal to Assad in Idlib if the Patriots were deployed in Hatay on Turkey’s border to provide protection.
“There may be a Patriot battery support,” from the U.S., Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told CNN-Turk television in an interview on Thursday. If there is similar support from European allies, Turkey would consider it too, he said.
“Turkey is determined to use force to ensure a cease-fire in Idlib,” Akar said. “Russia should not intervene in Turkey’s actions in Idlib, Turkey has no intention to face off with Russia.”
