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3. Ankara Says Patriot Defenses Being Deployed in Central Turkey After Latest Iran Missile

Turkey said Tuesday a Patriot missile defense system was being deployed in the country's center, a day after NATO intercepted a second ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace.

"Necessary measures are being taken for the security of our borders and airspace, and consultations are being held with NATO and our allies. In addition to the measures we have taken at the national level, NATO has strengthened its air and missile defense measures," a defense ministry statement said.

"Within this scope, a Patriot system assigned to support the protection of our airspace is being deployed in Malatya."

Located in central Turkey, Malatya is known as the location of the Kurecik air base, a key facility manned by US troops that houses a NATO early-warning radar system that can detect Iranian missile launches.

Although Ankara has categorically denied that the radar data has ever been used to help Israel, its presence has rattled Tehran.

The deployment came a day after NATO shot down a second missile from Iran, prompting Washington to shut down its consulate in the southern city of Adana and urge all American citizens to leave southeastern Turkey.

Besides Kurecik, US troops are also stationed at the Incirlik air base, another key NATO facility just 10 kilometers (six miles) outside Adana.

Kurecik lies some 350 kilometers further to the northeast.

Since the US-Israeli war against Iran started, Tehran has launched strikes across the Middle East. Aside from the two interceptions over the course of five days, Turkey appears to have been spared.

After the first ballistic missile was shot down in Turkish airspace on March 4, NATO said it had strengthened its "alliance-wide ballistic missile defense posture" but did not give any details for operational security reasons.

The Incirlik and Kurecik bases are a deeply sensitive issue for Turkey, with police arresting three journalists for "national security offenses" over footage filmed near Incirlik just hours after the Iran strikes began.

AFP