(Source: http://ike-basthana.livejournal.com/85797.html?thread=144933)

NATO is ready to send troops to Turkey in order to protect the allies against threats in the south, if necessary. This was stated by the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, as Reuters reports.

“The Alliance has already responded by increasing the readiness for the redeployment of troops” - he added. According to Stoltenberg, NATO is constantly monitoring the situation in Syria and is discussing the issue whether it requires any additional support with Ankara, as “Interfax” reports.

The Secretary General noted that the concern of the alliance was caused by the strikes with the use of cruise missiles inflicted by Russia on the objects of IS in Syria. According to Stoltenberg, “Moscow should focus on the fight against “Islamic State” in Syria, not on the support of Bashar al-Assad”. After Russia began air operation in Syria on September 30, Moscow has become the target of criticism because of the mass media reports about the alleged aircraft attacks against civilians, as well as the strikes on the positions of the members of opposition groups of the Arab country.

Later Russia was blamed of that also by the officials of the coalition. Moscow has repeatedly pointed out that the purpose of the operation was to destroy the terrorists, for the Syrian President asked Moscow to help him in fight against them. “Islamic State” is a terrorist group which proclaimed the creation of a caliphate on the occupied territories of Syria and Iraq in the summer of 2014. Its activities on the territory of Russia are prohibited. In addition to the Russian Federation, IS is countered by the troops loyal to Damascus, the Syrian rebels, the Iraqi Army, the Shiite militia, the Kurdish self-defense units and the US-led coalition that inflicts air strikes.