ISKENDERUN, Turkey, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The Turkish government is denying claims that a new radar base being built in a southern province bordering Syria will be used by the U.S. military.
The radar will be situated on Amanos Mountain in Hatay province, TurkRadio.us reported.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan told reporters, "The radar which will be deployed in Keseciktepe hamlet in Iskenderun is not related with the United States. The radar will be operated by Turkish Air Force's Command for Turkey's security, and NATO's joint funds will finance the assembling of the radar. Assembling and correspondence procedures of the radar were completed but the radar has not been handed over to us yet. Thus, it is not active yet. So there are no personnel at this facility. Security measures in this facility are the same as those in other military facilities."
The new facility has raised questions in Parliament, where the opposition Republican People's Party recently tabled a question calling for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to respond to claims that U.S. forces would use the facility, making it a potential threat to Turkey.
