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Tenth anniversary of the Spanish Armed Forces in the NATO operation in support of Türkiye

In Türkiye
January 30, 2025
  • Over the last decade, Spain has deployed a total of 21 contingents and nearly 3,000 military personnel in this mission

The Spanish contingent deployed in the NATO Operation in Support of Türkiye (A/T), with the Patriot anti-aircraft artillery battery, have celebrated the tenth anniversary of their ongoing presence in this mission with a military event at Incirlik Air Base, where our 21st contingent is located.

The event was chaired by Cristina Latorre Sancho, Spanish Ambassador to Türkiye, and was attended by representatives of allied nations, including the host nation Türkiye, the United States, which is deploying its 39th Air Base Wing in Incirlik, Poland, and the NATO CIS cell.

Over the past decade, Spain has demonstrated a strong commitment to NATO and collective security. This commitment has been translated into the deployment of a total of 21 contingents and nearly 3,000 Spanish military personnel. During the military ceremony, Ambassador Latorre Sancho addressed a few words to the Spanish military, stating that they were a true reflection of Spain's values: solidarity with its allies and defence of the most disadvantaged.

Ten years of service in Türkiye

Spanish troops joined the NATO mission in Turkey in January 2015. Since then, the Patriot Battery has been deployed at the Incirlik base, located in the city of Adana -the protection of this city has been the main objective of the Spanish anti-aircraft artillery unit-. This location was decided jointly with Türkiye and in close coordination with the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), which holds operational command of the mission and delegates responsibility for operational control to the Allied Air Command based at Ramstein Air Base (Germany).

Lieutenant Colonel Fernando García-Reparaz Pardo de Santayana, head of the A/T XXI contingent, said: “The ongoing operation of our Battery has been made possible thanks to the cooperation of Türkiye and the support provided by the US 39th Wing. On the occasion of this tenth anniversary, we would like to thank them. This collaboration between countries is evidence of the bonds of friendship and loyalty between allies”.

Operation “Persistent Effort”

The Patriot Unit deployed to Turkey is part of Operation Persistent Effort, which also includes the Tactical Air Detachment DAT 'Tigru' in Romania with the AN/TPS-43M radar, the UDAA NASAMS in Latvia, and Air Policing Detachments such as the DAT 'Paznic' currently based in Romania.

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