Erdoğan calls Russia's Patriot reaction 'very wrong'

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described Russia's harsh reaction to NATO’s deployment of Patriot missiles near Turkey's border with Syria as “very wrong,” and said such a reaction almost amounted to intervening in Turkey's domestic affairs, Hurriyet reports.

Erdoğan's remarks came late Thursday while speaking to journalists on board a plane en route from Pakistan to Turkey.

“I find Russia's statements very wrong. Its approach of trying to show Turkey's internal affairs - which it is not involved with - as a matter of its own [interest] is wrong. The issue is the placement of missiles for defense purpose,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying in remarks published Friday by daily Milliyet.

While speaking in Pakistan earlier on Thursday, Erdoğan underlined that the deployment was for defensive purposes only.

“This is a measure being taken against certain possible attacks from [the Syrian] side,” Erdoğan said.