Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Washington's decision in talks at the Pentagon that focused on the conflict in Syria, a front man said.
Hagel "conveyed to Minister Davutoglu that the United States has decided to continue its contribution of two Patriot batteries under NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization....
command and control for up to one additional year," Pentagon front man Carl Woog said in a statement.
Turkey had made a formal request to NATO to extend the deployment of the surface-to-air Patriot missiles, which are designed to counter aircraft and short-range missiles.
The United States, the Netherlands and Germany have provided a total of six Patriots along the Turkish border with Syria.
Turkey was once an ally of Syrian
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Horror of Homs...
but now backs the opposition fighting to topple the embattled leader.
At Monday's talks, Hagel and Davutoglu also discussed "the imperative to eliminate the regime's chemical weapons and achieve a political transition" in Syria, Woog said.