Troops from the Netherlands and Germany have arrived in Turkey to make required preparations for the arrival of NATO Patriot missiles, which will be deployed along the country’s border with Syria.

The Dutch Patriot batteries departed for Turkey on Monday and are expected to arrive by January 22 along with nearly 270 troops. German Defense Ministry said its Patriots would be shipped Tuesday from the port of Luebeck-Travemuende, and are due to arrive at the Turkish port of Iskenderun on January 21. The main German contingent of up to 350 soldiers will begin deploying in mid-January. A team of US military forces have already been stationed in the southeastern city of Gaziantep and a further 400 personnel and equipment would be airlifted there in the coming days.