Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 21 / Trend , A.Tagiyeva /
Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has strongly condemned plans to deploy a NATO early-warning radar system in the country, CNN Turk TV channel reported today. CHP stated that it will oppose the authorities' decision.
CHP Deputy Chairman Nihad Matkab said the party will today discuss the issue of holding rallies against the radar deployment in the Turkish territory.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone and Adviser to the Turkish Foreign Minister Firuddin Sinirlioglu earlier signed an agreement to deploy the European missile defense system (MDS) in the Kurecik base, in the Turkish city of Malatya.
An early-warning radar system will be deployed in Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Ministry's official representative Selcuk Unal, said earlier.
He said the decision on deploying an anti-missile defense system was adopted at the NATO summit in Lisbon in 2010. Turkey initially supported the initiative.
The already established anti-missile defense systems, including Aegis, are planned to be deployed in Europe at the first stage of creating European MDS. According to the plan, the missile deployment must be complete this year. The radar is an offshore radar detection system AN / TPY -2. The deployment of the radar and interceptor missiles will reflect regional ballistic missile threats to Europe.
The second phase will be completed by 2015.
The third phase must end in 2018. It involves the development, testing, and deployment of advanced SM -3 (Block IIA).
The fourth phase is planned to be completed by 2020. It involves SM -3 (Block IIB) deployment.