to host an American early-warning radar aimed at spying on Iranian missile launches.
The Friday announcement by Turkey never mentioned Iran. It just said Turkey had agreed to be the radar’s host.
It took Iran three days to respond. Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi said, “Iran and Turkey are neighbors and friends and fully capable of maintaining their security by themselves and without any interference by foreigners. The presence of non-regional countries would not only fail to improve the security level in our region, but rather make it worse.”
Qashqavi’s comments made it sound like the radar related only to the defense of Turkey. But it is actually a part of Turkey’s role as a member of NATO and its responsibility to contribute to European defense.
The Pentagon said it hopes the radar will be in place by the end of this year.
The radar along with interceptors in Romania and Poland will form a missile defense system for Europe. It was designed by the United States to counter any Iranian effort to threaten Europe with missiles. Iran does not yet have missiles capable of reaching very far into Europe, but the Pentagon has wanted to have the defense in place before the offense was ready.
The Turkish decision comes after a few years in which Turkey has made a conscious effort to improve relations with the Islamic Republic and the Arab world. But relations with Iran have suffered as Turkey has embraced the Syrian opposition effort to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad while Iran has stood stoutly by his side.
The New York Times wrote that Turkey’s decision on the radar also “suggests that Turkey may be shifting closer to the American view that Iran’s military assertiveness, most notably its frequent boasts about its missile abilities, is a cause for concern.”