Russian envoy visits Turkey to discuss NATO missile defense system

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s special envoy visited Turkey on Thursday to discuss Russia’s concerns on the U.S. led anti-missile network in Europe, Xinhua reported.

"Having missile defense elements in someone’s territory makes a country a target. That’s why you have to think very well before you make the decision," Dmitry Rogozin, Russian envoy to NATO, told reporters on Thursday prior to his meetings with Turkish leaders.

The Russian diplomat arrived in Turkey following his visit to the U.S. to get briefing on the planned anti-missile project. "We still had the same number of questions" on the missile defense project after the visit to military base Colorado Springs where the U.S. century missile defense center is located, he said.

He said that was the reason why he would like to hear opinions of the Turkish leadership. "Turkey will have a direct influence on the decision to deploy U.S. radar here, which then will become a part of the overall U.S. system. Since Turkey has access to Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, it will have a direct influence on the decision to deploy the U.S. missile defense ships, cruises in these seas," he said.

Russia was against "militarization of Black Sea region," Rogozin said. "We don’t want players to play on this ground if they are not a part of this region," he noted.

"Our U.S. colleagues try to put a basis for missile defense plans by demonizing Iranian missile program. But we differ from the U.S., concerning on real intentions of the Iranian leadership and their intentions in creating missiles and capabilities of this missiles," he said.

"Deploying a missile defense against a threat which does not exist, not only fail to defuse the situation in fact, but would lead to making it more serious," he said.

The diplomat said that deploying interceptors in Poland "will significantly affect Russian strategic forces."


/APA/