NATO Alliance Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Photo: Reuters)

Russia has warned that Turkey should not deploy surface-to-air Patriot missiles to protect its troubled border with Syria. “The militarization of the Syrian-Turkish border is of course a worrying sign,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich on Thursday. He said that Turkey should use its influence with the Syrian opposition to help start dialogues between Syria’s government and oppostition as soon as possible. Turkey proposed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deploy Patriot missiles. The Alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday that deployment of missiles would augment Turkey’s capabilities and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along Nato’s southeastern border. According to Rasmussen, NATO will consider the official proposal of Ancara.