Turkey Issues Warning to Iran Following Interception of Second Ballistic Missile by NATO
The Turkish government stated that NATO air defence systems successfully shot down a second ballistic missile launched from Iran that entered Turkish airspace. The incident occurred within the past week and triggered stern warnings from Ankara concerning threats to its territory.
The missile targeted Turkey’s southern region, which is both a NATO member state and shares a direct border with Iran.
Turkey’s government had previously warned Tehran against launching further attacks; however, Ankara has not yet formally signalled it would request additional protection from alliance members.
The Turkish Ministry of Defence affirmed that the country would not hesitate to take firm action against any threats directed at its territory and airspace.
“We once again emphasise that all necessary measures will be taken firmly and without hesitation against any threat directed at our territory and airspace,” the Turkish Ministry of Defence stated.
The ministry also reported that some debris from the intercepted missile fell in the Gaziantep province in southeastern Turkey. Despite this, no casualties were reported from the incident.
“We also reiterate that it is in the interest of all parties to heed Turkey’s warning in this regard,” the statement added.
The precise intended target of the ballistic missile before it was successfully intercepted by NATO air defence systems deployed in the eastern Mediterranean region remains unclear.
Turkey hosts several important military facilities belonging to its allies. The United States Air Force is stationed at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.
Additionally, NATO operates a radar facility in Malatya province that plays a crucial role in the alliance’s defence system. Ankara stated that missile debris fell in an empty field area in Gaziantep, situated between these two facilities.
Burhanettin Duran, communication director of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Turkey had once again issued stern warnings to all parties involved in the conflict.
He affirmed that Ankara called on all parties, particularly Iran, to avoid actions that could threaten regional stability and civilian safety.
Amid rising regional tensions, Ankara also affirmed that Washington did not use Incirlik base in aerial strikes conducted jointly with Israel against Iran.
Those strikes previously triggered waves of retaliatory missiles and drones from Tehran.
As of now, Iran has not provided an official comment regarding the incident. However, Tehran has repeatedly stated previously that it is not at war with countries in the region and does not specifically target Turkey.
Turkey itself had previously sought to mediate dialogue between the United States and Iran before the aerial conflict broke out last week.
Ankara also stated it did not plan to invoke NATO’s Article 4, which allows member states to request consultation with allies if they feel threatened.
The use of this article could potentially lead to the implementation of NATO’s Article 5, which obliges all alliance members to defend any member that is attacked.
As a country with NATO’s second-largest land military force, Turkey plays an important role in the trans-Atlantic alliance and in recent years has become an increasingly influential global actor in the defence industry.
Nevertheless, Ankara still faces limitations in its national air defence systems and remains dependent on NATO air defence systems, including in the two missile incidents that occurred within the past week.