June 22, 2007 - 17:01 AMT
Moscow offers U.S. to install radar in Turkey
Installation of U.S. anti-missile assets in Turkey but not in Eastern Europe will alleviate Moscow's concerns about U.S. plans, said Yuri Baluyevsky, chief of the Russian Army General Staff.

"Iran can develop long-range ballistic missiles no sooner then 2015. So why not install assets for their prevention in Turkey?" Baluyevsky said.

U.S. refusal from joint use of the Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan will reveal the genuine aims of deployment of missile defense shield in Europe, he added.

"The world will understand the motives. The gander allegedly coming from Iran is hypothetical while the U.S. offers to create a major missile defense shield, which is unnecessary," Baluyevsky said, the BBC Russian branch reports.

The proposal on joint use of Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan as an alternative to installation of anti-missile assets in Eastern Europe came from Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G8 summit.