Turkey request for missiles 'new act of provocation': Syria

DAMASCUS - Agence France-Presse

Turkish soldiers sit in a vehicle, near the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain as gunfire is heard, as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, Sanliurfa province, November 22, 2012. REUTERS Photo

Turkey's request to NATO for Patriot missiles is "a new act of provocation," Syrian state television quoted a foreign ministry official it did not name as saying on Friday.
 
Turkey turned to its NATO partners earlier this week to request the deployment of surface-to-air Patriot missiles to protect its troubled border with Syria.
 
In its first reaction to Turkey's request, the Syrian foreign ministry accused Ankara of causing "tension and destruction." "Syria holds (Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan responsible for the militarisation of the situation at the border between Syria and Turkey, and the increase of tension and destruction to the detriment of the Syrian and Turkish peoples," the official said.
 
The Syrian government has long accused Turkey of harbouring, financing and arming rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad.