Turkey set to host U.S. shield: reports

The United States is reportedly in talks with Turkey about building part of its missile shield in the country. That's according to Russian newsru.com web-site. If true, the base would be part of a network including the Czech Republic and Poland.

Washington claims that the anti-missile shield is to defend the U.S. and NATO from rogue states such as Iran and North Korea.

They say the planned bases will not cover many countries in southern Europe.

Moscow has been strongly opposed to the plans and sees the system as a threat to national security.

Russia has offered the joint use of a Soviet-era radar station in Azerbaijan – a country bordering Turkey – as an alternative to the bases in the Czech Republic and Poland.