Speech Chief of Defence general Tom Middendorp on January 7th, Deployment of Patriot units to Turkey

Speech Chief of Defence general Tom Middendorp on January 7th, Deployment of Patriot units to Turkey

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to the Netherlands armed forces. And in particular, to the Defence Ground-based Air Defence Command.

Following a request by Turkey, the first Dutch military personnel will be leaving for the city of Adana in Turkey tomorrow. Turkey has long been a reliable NATO Ally. And when reliable Allies ask for assistance, you listen carefully. That is what the Dutch government has done, and that is what we, the Netherlands armed forces, have also done. That is why we, along with our American and German NATO partners, are each sending two Patriot units.

Turkey has requested military assistance due to the threat to its population posed by missiles from Syria. The threat is a very real one. Syria is not only firing shells at its own population, but medium-range missiles as well, so-called Scud missiles. These Scud missiles have a potential range of hundreds of kilometres, so they could easily hit Turkish cities. Besides explosives, they can also carry other types of payload, for instance chemical warheads.

So we are talking about some very serious weaponry on the borders of an Allied country. We do not know whether the missiles will indeed cross the border. But what we do know is that Syria has deadly offensive weapons at its disposal, and has already deployed them on a grand scale.

And prevention is always a hundred percent better than cure. That is why our military personnel are going to Turkey tomorrow. To prevent Syrian missiles from hitting Turkish cities, be it by accident or intentionally. We want to prevent what could amount to large numbers of casualties among innocent civilians. But we are also going to Turkey to prevent the conflict from escalating. Escalation – and with it even more violence and destruction – will benefit no-one. So we really must ensure that does not happen.

It may sound contradictory to some of you, but sometimes weapons are what is needed to prevent more deaths and injuries. That is exactly how the Netherlands uses its armed forces. By baring our teeth, in a military sense, we prevent the use of even more violence. That is really where the strength of our armed forces lies, and we have seen this for instance in our successful counterpiracy operations.

The Netherlands armed forces have had to make major cutbacks in recent years. But the Netherlands is one of the few NATO countries which still have state-of-the-art air and missile defence capabilities. We are able to protect civilians, areas and installations against any form of air threat.
Both at home and abroad. We can provide protection against aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. But also against cruise missiles and ballistic missiles (such as the Syrian Scud missiles).

The growing proliferation of the latter group of missiles, and of laser technology, is resulting in an increased threat from these weapons. Having modern missile defence systems at our disposal is therefore by no means a luxury. It will help us avoid a lot of problems.

That is why two Dutch Patriot units are going to Adana, which with a population of 1.5 million is the largest city in southern Turkey – the combined size of Amsterdam and Rotterdam – and which lies 120 kilometres from the border with Syria. Our American and German partners will each be protecting another Turkish city.

For more than half a century, NATO has been successful in preventing war from breaking out on NATO territory. NATO is the insurance policy for our collective security. It is with good reason that the first core task of our armed forces is ‘to protect our own territory and that of our NATO Allies’.   NATO’s success is wholly dependent on trust and credibility.

Showing that you will not desert each other when the going gets tough, and showing that you can depend on one another. And we are showing that NATO can counter any threat and is prepared to protect the territory of its Allies. Going by the principle of all for one and one for all. The Netherlands can count on its NATO partners in times of need – and they can count on us. That is what this mission stands for!

Our deployment does not mean that we are going to become involved in the conflict in Syria. The Patriots will not be supporting a no-fly zone. This mission is purely about protecting a number of Turkish cities against possible missiles from Syria. We want to prevent unnecessary casualties and further escalation of the conflict. That is why what we do is so important. And that is why the NATO Alliance is so important.

The military personnel who will be setting off tomorrow are well-trained and well-instructed. I would stake my life on that. For instance, in NATO exams these personnel score above average, time and again. Our military personnel also bring their past experiences and lessons learned to the mission.

After all, they have already been deployed to Turkey and Israel before, and then again to Turkey in 2003, to protect the population against possible missile attacks by Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.
A number of them will be deploying on this mission too; they have seen it all before and they will share that expertise with the others.

Standing here is a unit which is ready for its task! Led by Colonel Marcel Buis, they will protect the population of the city of Adana. I wish our personnel every success and a safe return.

I will now give the floor to the detachment commander, who will tell you more about the ins and outs of this mission.

Thank you.