Spain to Station Patriot Systems in Turkey.

Spain to Station Patriot Systems in Turkey. (RN).

Spain will station a squadron of Patriot surface-to-air (SAM) systems and send 130 servicemen to Turkey, Spanish Defense Minister Pedro Morenes said while speaking to the members of the parliamentary defense committee.

According to Morenes, this measure is being carried out as part of NATO's operation "to protect civilians from possible attacks from the air and ballistic missile strikes on the southern border" of Turkey with Iraq and Syria.

Missiles will be deployed in the region of Adana in southwest Turkey. Both the servicemen and the missiles will arrive to the country in January, the minister said Wednesday.

Spain previously stated that its military will not directly participate in the bombing of Islamic State (IS) rebel positions on the territories of Iraq and Syria. According to the minister, the country's contribution to the fight against the IS could be in form of transport assistance and providing bases, equipment and weapons for the government of Iraq.

The international coalition to combat IS is still being formed and, therefore, it is necessary to determine the "appropriate measures, responsibility and contribution" of each country, Morenes said. According to the minister, Spain is participating in the "operations planning process." The operations are developed by the US Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East and Central Asia and was engaged in the development of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.