Gül says NATO radar doesn’t threaten RussiaSeptember 9, 2011 - 10:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey has said NATO’s pending deployment of early warning radar system is only for defense and are only against arms, referring to missiles from non-state actors. President Abdullah Gül told reporters late on Thursday, September 8, upon his return from Moscow that Russia is a strategic partner of Russia and that NATO’s to-be-deployed radar system is only for defense purposes. He said he discussed these issues with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, stressing Russia’s increasingly cooperative and close role with the world’s largest military alliance. Turkey has recently agreed to host the early warning radar as part of NATO's missile defense system aimed at countering ballistic missile threats from neighboring Iran. The Turkish and US governments said last Friday the radar system will help spot missile threats coming from outside Europe, including potentially from Iran. The system, provided by the United States, is to become operational later this year. He said arms that pose threat to NATO members are not only about states but could also belong to non-state organizations. “For this reason, this is totally for defense purposes. We are also closely discussing, consulting this issue with the Russian side,” Gül added, Today’s Zaman reported. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |