ANKARA, Jan 29: Turkey said on Wednesday that it wants Nato to deploy Patriot missiles on its territory as protection against Iraq, which has threatened to retaliate against countries siding with the United States in case of an invasion.

“An important part of the security measures in the (Nato) package involve supporting Turkey’s preliminary defence measures,” Turkish foreign ministry spokesman, Yusuf Buluc, said at a news conference here, declaring “Turkey supports the package”.

The missile deployment is one of a number of measures the United States asked its European Nato allies to undertake because of heightened international tensions over Iraq.

According to diplomatic sources at Nato, the measures — apart from the deployment of Patriot anti-missile batteries in southern Turkey — include increased airborne radar surveillance over the region and a reinforcement of the alliance’s naval patrols in the Mediterranean.

The alliance is currently discussing the US proposal made earlier in the month.

Turkey is the only Nato member to share a border with Iraq and faces US pressure to provide military and logistical support to a possible attack.

Ankara has so far avoided making its position clear and has said it will not do so until a second UN resolution authorizing military action against Iraq.

It has nonetheless launched military talks with the United States over its possible contribution to war.

In an interview with a Canadian television station on Monday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz warned that Iraq would strike countries that are used as bases for possible US attacks.

“We will of course retaliate against the American troops wherever they start their aggression on Iraq. This is legitimate,” Mr Aziz said.

The Turkish spokesman on Wednesday recalled that Turkey was a “friendly neighbour of Iraq which has mobilized all its resources for a peaceful resolution” to the disarmament crisis.

“In a previous declaration, Aziz has said that Iraq would not let a possible conflict spill over its borders. All the reasons for Aziz to keep to this undertaking are obvious,” Buluc said.

The spokesman urged more cooperation between Iraq and UN weapons inspectors to avert a possible war especially after Monday’s report to the Security Council accusing the Iraqi regime of still defying disarmament demands.—AFP