Words by President of the Government on visit to Spanish military contingent in Turkey

Adana (Turkey)

Thank you very much, Lieutenant Colonel, for your words and thank you very much to all the artillerymen deployed in Adana.

It is an honour and a privilege for me, as President of the Government and as a Spaniard, to be here with you today. We have seen that materials have changed a great deal since the time of Daoíz and Velarde, but I would like to see for myself that the courtesy and the spirit of the artillery remain the same.

My trip here today, to Adana, has two goals: firstly, I wanted to visit one of the few contingents overseas with whom I still had not shared a day, and also to take advantage of my trip to Turkey to visit you, albeit briefly, to spend a while with you and to see your mission firsthand; secondly, I would like my visit here to serve to show all our compatriots the work that you are doing, particularly taking into account that this is the first occasion on which Spain has deployed an anti-missile defence system overseas. It is important that they are aware of your mission here, among other reasons, because it represents the essence and founding principles of NATO: solidarity with one of our allies; a strictly defensive mission that seeks to protect the population and the territory of Turkey, together with other allies, and which can be summarised in the slogan of the Spanish artillery: "All for one and one for all".

As a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Spain has not skimped in its efforts as a reliable and committed ally. We want a fully committed NATO that is capable of exporting security and stability in its own back yard and that is seen as a global player.

Your mission here is also important because it improves Spain's security and it does so by contributing to security in the region at a time in which the situation in Syria and in other areas threatens us all.

As you are aware, we live in a world in which no-one is safe from the terrorist threat. Terrorism is a scourge that threatens and cruelly strikes the defenceless and innocent civilian population, and it does so anywhere in the world: in Madrid, London, Ankara and, as you know, just a few hours ago, in Paris. Each day we can see with horror that no-one is safe from senselessness and fanaticism. That is why it is so important for all of us to be united in the fight against this barbarism.

Your presence here is a guarantee for the civilian population, to whom you offer security and confidence; it is also an example of the commitment from Spanish society to defending certain principles that we are not going to renounce under any circumstance: the value of human life and liberty, the supremacy of individual rights and open societies. We are never going to renounce their defence and we know that the best way to do this is in close cooperation with our allies. When faced with global threats, the response must be global, with growing, and increasingly qualified cooperation.

I have been highly impressed by the new systems that operate in anti-aerial defence and, specifically, anti-missile defence, and I appreciate the efforts that have gone into your training, as well as the high level of preparation that this demonstrates; with resources and experience that will help us to perfect the true capabilities of our Armed Forces, which must be stepped up.

I appreciate how hard it must be to keep permanent alert on missile launchers, radars and at command posts, but I am convinced that your work here helps keep the population in the zone safe and clearly reflects allied and Spanish support. I can assure you that our allies, particularly Turkey, are grateful for this effort and I also wish to express my gratitude on behalf of all the people of Spain.

I know, we have just heard this a moment ago, that you will still be here for some time, and will spend Saint Barbara and Christmas here in Adana. That is why, although it may be a little premature, I wish you all an enjoyable patron saint's day and a merry Christmas. Remember that in Spain we hugely value your work and, above all, hope that your mission ends with you returning home safe and sound.

Finally, I would like to take back a memory to your families, who wait for you in Spain and who can feel very proud of your work here.

Artillerymen, thank you all very much and I wish you the very best on your mission.

Thank you very much.