U.S. spokesperson says it's right of Turkey to protect its own territory

WASHINGTON (A.A) - January 5, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Victoria Nuland has said that it's the sovereign right of Turkey to protect its own territory in a daily briefing.  When a reporter said, "the Turkish newspapers said that the Turks have deployed a – missile batteries, Hawk missile batteries along their border to counter, apparently, the deployment of Syrian missiles batteries. Are you concerned that this situation may deteriorate and we may actually have some sort of heightened tension or even conflagration along the – Syria's northern border with Turkey?" Nuland said, "I haven't seen the reports that you're citing on Turkish deployments. Obviously, it's the sovereign right of Turkey to protect its own territory." "We've been concerned all along with regard to the potential for – we've had significant refugee outflows, potential for even larger refugee outflows. The Turks have been enormously generous hosts in supporting those Syrians who have sought refuge there," she said.