First NATO Patriot operational in Turkey

The first NATO battery in Turkey was made operational in the southern province of Adana at 14:00 local time, Hurriyet Daily News reports.
 
"The system is up and running under NATO control. It's fully integrated into the NATO and Turkish air defense systems," NATO spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Darius Kacperczyk told a group of journalists at the Dutch Patriot battery location in the Şakirpaşa District Command of Adana.
 
"This NATO-wide deployment is being made based on Turkey's request and is purely defensive in nature. It has been designed to de-escalate the conflict in neighboring Syria and also deter any possible threat to the Turkish population and Turkish territory," he added.