Iranian Ballistic Missiles Begin Strikes on Turkey; Erdogan Takes Action
Turkey’s government formally announced the deployment of Patriot air defence missile systems in the country’s central region on Tuesday 10 March 2026. This emergency measure was taken just one day after NATO’s defence alliance successfully intercepted a second ballistic missile launched from Iran whilst crossing Turkish airspace.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry confirmed that this step forms part of strengthened national security measures coordinated directly with the international alliance. The ministry stated that the recent escalation of missile attacks has forced Ankara to increase vigilance at vital points.
“The necessary steps are being taken for the security of our borders and airspace, and consultations are underway with NATO and our allies. Beyond the steps we have taken at the national level, NATO has strengthened its air defence and missile measures,” stated an official statement from Turkey’s Defence Ministry, cited by AFP.
The deployment of advanced military equipment is focused on the Malatya region, which is a strategic location for regional air defence. This area hosts crucial military facilities that have long served as a western alliance observation point for monitoring military activity in the Middle East.
“Within this scope, Patriot systems assigned to support protection of our airspace are being deployed in Malatya,” the ministry statement continued.
Malatya itself is known as the location of Kurecik airbase, a major facility manned by United States forces. This base houses NATO’s early-warning radar system with special capability to detect missile launches from Iranian territory.
Although Ankara has repeatedly and categorically denied that radar data has ever been used to assist Israel, the existence of Kurecik airbase remains a source of tension with Tehran. The situation intensified after NATO shot down Iran’s second missile, which triggered a strong reaction from Washington.
The United States government immediately took decisive action by closing its consulate in the southern Turkish city of Adana. In addition to closing the diplomatic office, Washington also issued evacuation orders and urged all American citizens to immediately leave southeastern Turkey.
Beyond Kurecik, United States forces are also stationed at Incirlik airbase, another key NATO facility located just 10 kilometres outside Adana. Meanwhile, Kurecik airbase is situated approximately 350 kilometres further to the northeast.
Since the outbreak of war between the United States-Israel and Iran, Tehran has launched various attacks across the Middle East region. Although two missiles have been intercepted within a five-day period, Turkish territory has so far been reported as avoiding direct damage from impacts.
After the first ballistic missile was successfully shot down over Turkish airspace on 4 March, NATO stated it had strengthened ballistic missile defence posture throughout the alliance. However, the defence organisation refused to provide further details on deployment techniques for operational security reasons.
The presence of Incirlik and Kurecik airbases is a highly sensitive issue for Turkish public and government. This tension was demonstrated by police action that arrested three journalists on charges of violating national security for filming near Incirlik, only hours after Iranian attacks began.