TURKEY: Nato has agreed to give Turkey Patriot anti-missile systems to bolster its defence against possible strikes due to the civil war in neighbouring Syria.

The news came as Nato allies expressed "grave" concern about reports the Syrian government may be preparing to use its chemical weapons.

Nato Secretary- General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: "Any such action would be completely unacceptable and a clear breach of international law."

Turkey has been highly supportive of the Syrian opposition to President Bashar Assad's regime and fears possible retaliatory attacks by Syrian missiles.

Syria is reported to have an array of artillery rockets, as well as short and medium-range missiles in its arsenal – some capable of carrying chemical warheads.

Nato is expected to provide several batteries of the latest PAC-3 version of the US-built Patriot air defence systems, which is optimised to intercept incoming missiles.

The exact details of the deployment and the number of batteries to be sent will be determined by Nato's military committee based on a report by a joint team that has been studying possible basing sites.

Parliaments in Germany and Holland must approve the move, which would also involve several hundred soldiers.

US officials say the White House and its allies are weighing military options to secure Syria's chemical and biological weapons, after US intelligence reports showed the Syrian regime may be readying those weapons and may be desperate enough to use them.