Turkey Rejects Malatya Radar System Aids Israel

Information from the Kurecik early warning radar system in Malatya, which is a component of the NATO missile defense system, is not being shared with Israel, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said on Sunday.



"The NATO missile defense system and the Kurecik radar, one of its elements, was built for Turkey's national security with the aim of protecting people, territories and NATO ally forces," Bilgic said in reaction to claims made by Turkey's opposition parties.



"It is impossible for this system to provide security to a non-NATO member, and as it is well-known Israel is not a NATO member," he added.



The missile interceptors in Romania and Poland work in coordination with Kurecik radar to broaden the defense of NATO allies against mid-range missiles.



Since July 7, Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip, home to some 1.8 million Palestinians, with crippling air and naval bombardments with the ostensible aim of halting rocket fire.



On Thursday night, Israel stepped up its offensive to include ground operations, sending thousands of troops into the embattled Palestinian territory, resulting the death toll in Gaza to 425 so far.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ankara