'Turkey does not have any request for NATO to send troops'

Foreing Ministry announced on Friday that Turkey has not made any request for the dispatch of NATO forces to Turkey.

“Turkey does not have any request from NATO but this statement is satisfactory," Tanju Bilgiç, the Spokesman of the Foreing Ministry, told reporters in Ankara.

“Ankara is continuing talks with NATO and bilateral partners on enhancing its defence capabilities, including Patriot missile systems, but has not made a request for NATO to send military forces to Turkey."

He was referring to the most recent NATO statement which explained readiness to defend its ally Turkey against Russia's air violations. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenber said that the NATO is prepared to deploy troops in Turkey to defend its ally after incursion of the Turkish airspace by Russian fighter jets.

When asked about the recent statement by a key Russian cabinet member, Bilgiç said: “Any military delegation has not arrived from Russia yet."

On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov said that Moscow would welcome a Turkish defence ministry delegation to discuss avoiding any 'misunderstanding'.

The violation of Turkish air space has coincided with Russia's military build-up in the region, including ground troops and ships in the eastern Mediterranean in Moscow's first military campaign outside the former Soviet Union for three decades.

NATO allies have seriously criticised Russia for its weekend's violation of Turkish air space. Stoltenberg expressed that alliance members have serious doubt over Moscow's claim that its incursion of Turkey's airspace was just a “mistake".

Turkey has given a harsh response to Russia's move. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that commercial relations could suffer due to violation of his country's airspace by Russia, which is Ankara's second-largest commercial partner.