German soldiers arrive in Turkey to set up Patriots

ISTANBUL

AFP Photo

A group of German soldiers and officials have arrived in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş for preparations to set up Patriots, after the German Parliament approved the deployment of air defense systems in Turkey against Syria as part of a NATO mission.  

The German delegation reportedly flew to the southern province of Adana in a cargo plane belonging to the Turkish Air Forces before crossing to Kahramanmaraş, Anatolia news agency reported today.  

Officials from the Turkish Armed Forces have been accompanying the German group, the reports said.  

The German Patriot missile batteries will be positioned about 120 kilometers from the Syrian border in southern Turkey, with a mandate that will run until Jan. 31, 2014, according to Agence France-Presse.