  U.S. Defense Secretary pays unexpected visit to Turkey December 14, 2012 - 16:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made a surprise visit on Friday, Dec 14, to the İncirlik Air Base in the southern Turkish province of Adana, according to Today's Zaman. Panetta's visit came the same day he signed orders to send Patriot missiles and 400 U.S. military personnel to Turkey to defend against potential rocket attacks from Syria. A total of six Patriot missile batteries will be sent to Turkey - two from the United States, two from Germany and two from the Netherlands. All six batteries will be under NATO's command and are scheduled to be operational by the end of January. The 20-month uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has turned increasingly bloody, and heavy fighting has often erupted along Syria's northern border with Turkey, which supports the Syrian opposition. The Patriot system is designed to intercept aircraft or missiles. Turkey asked NATO to deploy Patriot missiles to shore up its 900-kimometer (560-mile) border, where it fears security may crumble as the Syrian army fights harder to contain the rebels, many of whom have enjoyed sanctuary in Turkey.   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 |  Latest 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. |
