U.S. navy warship docks at Turkish port

ISTANBUL, March 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Navy warship USS The Sullivans, which operates in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, anchored at a Turkish port in Bodrum on March 2 as part of a radar system mission, according to the local Dogan news agency's report on Sunday.

The 198-meter-long warship with 296 personnel is described as an Arleigh Burke-class "Aegis" guided missile destroyer. The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System is a program developed to provide defense against ballistic missiles.

The report said that the development came days after 50 U.S. soldiers were sent to the radar base in the eastern province of Malatya. It is a crucial component of the alliance's anti-missile shield system.

This is the first time that The Sullivans has docked at a Turkish port and it will leave Bodrum early on March 5.