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Why Turkey sought Patriot missiles near Syria
Summary
A look back at the Idlib fighting and Ankara's request for US air defences, as reported in the days before 26 February 2020.
What was driving Turkey to ask its NATO ally for air defences as of 26 February 2020? The reports from the preceding days point to escalating fighting in north-western Syria.
On 20 February 2020, Turkish-backed rebels launched an offensive in Idlib Governorate against government forces. It was part of the wider north-western Syria offensive, which ran from December 2019 to March 2020 and involved Turkey directly.
The same day, a Russian air strike killed two Turkish soldiers and injured five others. Turkey said a retaliatory strike killed 50 Syrian troops. Several tanks and armoured personnel carriers were reported destroyed near the village of Nayrab.
A request to Washington
Also on 20 February 2020, Turkey formally asked the United States, its NATO ally, to deploy Patriot surface-to-air missile systems on the Syria–Turkey border. The aim, as reported at the time, was to deter Syrian and Russian air strikes on Turkish troops.
Taken together, the reports describe a sharp escalation in which Turkish forces were exposed to air attack and Ankara turned to its alliance partners for protection.
