Turkish Demonstrations Against Patriot Missile Deployment

ANKARA,(ST)_ Amid growing people ‘s  rejection of Turkey’s hostile  policies by the government of the  Justice and Development Party, Turkish protesters rallied in the capital, Ankara on Tuesday ,  in  protest against the deployment of NATO Patriot missiles along their country’s border with Syria, under the pretext of addressing any ” likely Syrian Threat”.

The demonstrators urged the Turkish  parliament to take action and cancel the deployment of NATO missiles and troops in Turkey.

Anti-Patriot protesters also gathered in front of the German Embassy in Ankara.

The protest comes a day after four batteries of Patriot missiles, two each from Germany and the Netherlands, reached Turkey.

“Germany, take your Patriots and get out of Turkey,” the protesters chanted on Tuesday, amid police men intensive presence at the site of the demonstration, AFP reported.

Earlier on Monday, a similar anti-Patriot protest was held in front of the US Embassy, where angry protesters condemned what they called Ankara’s interventionist policies towards Syria.

Also on Monday, a group of Turkish protesters tried to get through the barricades at Incirlik Air Force Base in Adana in protest to the arrival of Patriot anti-missile batteries. About 25 protesters were arrested.

The United States, Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to deploy two batteries of Patriot missiles each, under the command of NATO, along the Turkish-Syria border after the military alliance approved a request by Turkey for the deployment of the surface-to-air missiles in the border region on December 4, 2012.

The three countries will also send nearly 350 troops each to Turkey. A number of American, German and Dutch soldiers are already stationed in the country.

Turkish people have held several protests against the military plan.
Meantime, members of the Turkish  Communist Party members in Iskenderun port  protested against the arrival of the  Patriot missiles to the port on Monday, expressing their rejection of the deployment of these missiles batteries on the  Turkish territory.
The demonstrators chanted slogans condemning the NATO missile deployment , the  U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

T. Fateh