Turkey to get NATO defence missiles

Nato foreign ministers are poised to approve Turkey’s request for Patriot anti-missile systems to bolster its defence against possible strikes from neighbouring Syria.

Ankara, which has been highly supportive of the Syrian opposition to president Bashar Assad’s regime, wants the Patriots to defend against possible retaliatory attacks by Syrian missiles carrying chemical warheads. Syria is reported to have an array of artillery rockets, as well as short- and medium-range missiles in its arsenal – some capable of carrying chemical warheads.