Italy’s decision to remove anti-missile batteries it stationed in Turkey as part of a NATO commitment to defend the country is not a reaction to Turkey’s military operation in Syria, Defence News reported on Friday, Eurasia Diary reported citing Ahwal.
Italy had placed the SAMP/T battery in Turkey’s south-eastern province of Kahramanmaraş in 2016 after Germany decided to withdraw its Patriot systems from Turkey, ending its role in a three-year NATO mission to help bolster the country's air defences against threats from Syria's civil war.
Italy’s Defence Undersecretary Angelo Tofalo told the Italian parliament on Thursday that Italy’s air-defence system and the 130-member military team manning it would be withdrawn as of Dec. 31.
“The end was planned for December this year, and we are therefore carrying out what was planned,” Italian Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini said in Brussels while attending a NATO defence ministers’ meeting.
NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also made a similar remark.
“The Italian decision was made this spring, the result of them being there for a long time and their mandate ending by the end of the year,” he said.
Spain also has Patriot batteries in Turkey that have been stationed in İncirlik airbase in the southern province of Adana since 2015.
Following the start of Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria on Oct. 9, some European countries have taken measures to suspend new arms sales to Turkey. The possibility of Spain to withdraw its air-defence systems in İncirlik was mentioned in the media, but was denied by the Spanish Embassy in Ankara.
“I expect any (decision about the) extension of the Spanish presence will be taken in consultation with allies,” Stoltenberg said in Brussels.
Ahead of the NATO ministers’ meeting, Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that NATO members should continue helping Turkey deploy air defence equipment on the border.
Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria ended as of Wednesday, after Turkey made two separate deals with the United States and Russia for the withdrawal of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) towards the south from territories along the Turkish border.
Turkey plans to establish a 32 km deep safe zone along a 120 km stretch of the border, while on the east and west of the safe zone Turkish and Russian forces will conduct joint patrols.
