Erdogan denied news reports that Turkey would buy Patriot missiles from NATO.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied news reports that Turkey would buy Patriotmissiles from NATO.
“We do not have any thoughts of acquiring Patriots by paying money,” Erdogan told Turkish journalists in Bali, where he was set to take part in the Bali Democracy Forum.
Earlier news reports that appeared in international media outlets have said that Turkey contacted NATOand the United States and demanded deployment of the missiles along its border with Syria to create a de facto buffer zone against possible threats from its southern neighbor.
Erdogan rejected the media reports, saying that Turkey had placed no such request from NATO.
Responding to a question over how Obama’s re-election as US president would affect the crisis in Syria, Erdogan said now that the US election was over positive developments were expected in the region.
“I believe that the US should handle the issue differently from now on. And most importantly steps should be taken to change the attitude of Russia and China in the Security Council,” Erdogan said.
There is violence, murder in Syria
Erdogan also stressed there has been violence and murder in Syria.
Many people have been killed in Syria and many others forced to migrate from the country, Erdogan told Turkish journalists in Bali, where he was set to take part in the Bali Democracy Forum.
Replying to a question, Erdogan said there could not be a solution including Assad in Syria.
Turkey, as a neighbor, was affected much by what has happened in Syria, he added.
