FM Davutoglu: No conflict with NATO over the number of Patriots

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has made comments on his contacts within the framework of a meeting of NATO foreign minister in Brussels and on sending Patriot missiles to Turkey. After it was recalled to him that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has reiterated that the missile system to be delivered to Turkey would not be used to hit aircrafts, Davutoglu said, "Turkey has already had a conventional force against any aircraft threat. Patriots are defensive by their nature. We have said to NATO that our demand was defensive. We are not in the state of war with Syria and patriots are intended only as a precautionary measure. We hope that developments in Syria will not reach a level of threat against Turkey and NATO." Davutoglu also said that there was no conflict with NATO members over the number of patriots, adding that numbers and locations were technical military subjects. "I want to thank to Secretary General and all the countries, especially to the US, Germany and Netherlands. These countries have promised to complete their domestic procedures for delivering Patriot batteries as soon as possible," Davutoglu added.