Syria Says Turkey’s Request for Patriot “New Act of Provocation”

Turkey’s request to NATO for Patriot missiles is “a new act of provocation,” Syrian state television quoted a foreign ministry official it did not name as saying on Friday.

Turkey turned to its NATO partners earlier this week to request the deployment of surface-to-air Patriot missiles to protect its troubled border with Syria.

Russia warned Turkey against the deployment of NATO surface-to-air Patriot missiles near the Syrian border, saying Ankara should instead use its sway to restore calm in the conflict-stricken Arab country.

“The militarization of the Syrian-Turkish border is of course a worrying sign,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.