Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 22 /Trend T.Konyayeva, T.Jafarov/
The deployment of NATO's early-warning radar system in Turkey aims at defending Israel, ISNA quoted Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying.
"The U.S. claim that this system is intended for Europe's protection, but European countries have never officially stated of being threatened by regional countries," Vahidi said at the military parade running in Iran today.
NATO's radar system in Turkey targets restricting Russian and Iranian influence, he added.
Earlier, Vahidi noted that the presence of foreign forces in the region could damage relations between the nations of the region.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal announced the country's intention to host the apparatus on Sept. 2. Following Ankara's announcement, Russia criticized the plan and denounced NATO's efforts to advance eastward.
In September 2010, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen proposed to develop a 200-million-euro (253-million-dollar) US-backed missile system around Europe against possible attacks by "rogue states."
The NATO chief then named Iran's nuclear program as one of the reasons that justify the necessity of a missile system.