Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz told reporters following a NATO's defense ministers meeting in Brussels that one should trust NATO member states' pledge that they won't share the intelligence they gather from NATO's early warning radar system, which is in the southeast of the country and will serve as part of the alliance's missile defense system. Yılmaz also warned that this intelligence cannot be used outside of NATO member states, referring to Israel.
Turkish-Israeli relations were badly damaged after Israeli naval commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza to breach the naval blockade, killing nine Turkish civilians. Turkey demands an official apology, compensation for the families of victims and an end to the Gaza blockade. Israel claims its soldiers acted in self-defense.
Last year, Turkey's leaders also repeatedly asked NATO during the alliance summit in Lisbon not to share intelligence from radar systems with Israel. Turkey agreed to host the radar in September as part of NATO's missile defense system aimed at countering ballistic missile threats from neighboring Iran. Ankara claims the shield doesn't target a specific country and had threatened to block the deal if Iran was explicitly named as a threat.
A military installation in Kürecik has been designated as the site, according to Turkish government officials. Kürecik is in Malatya province and lies some 700 kilometers (435 miles) west of the Iranian border. In September, Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said the United States hopes to have the radar deployed there by the end of the year.
Yılmaz stressed that the primary reason for NATO's early warning radar system is to maintain the security of Europe. Yılmaz also added that with the radar system, Turkey is also protecting itself.
Yılmaz added that no one has a right to object to a project that is only for defense purposes and said no NATO member should say “no” when asked to protect other member states. The defense minister also said he had a chance to have talks with his British, Canadian, Australian and Afghan counterparts and said all of them stressed Turkey's increasing influence in the region and asked for further cooperation.
