Turkey urges Iran to exercise restraint after missile intercepted in its airspace

Ankara — Turkey has called on Iran to exercise restraint from further escalation in the Middle East following the destruction of another missile in Turkish airspace, according to Burhanettin Duran, head of communications for the Turkish presidency, on Monday (9 March).

Earlier that day, Turkey’s Defence Ministry stated that NATO forces had destroyed a ballistic missile launched from Iran in Turkish airspace, adding that there were no casualties.

“It is crucial that tensions in the region do not escalate and that the conflict does not spread to wider areas. Once again, we urge all parties, particularly Iran, to refrain from actions that endanger regional security and could jeopardise civilian populations,” Duran said.

On Saturday (7 March), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara had warned Tehran that missile incidents over Turkish territory should not recur.

“We are not a country that is easily provoked; we do not hesitate to protect our airspace,” Fidan stated.

“We know what it is like to be drawn into war. We have discussed this with our Iranian counterparts and told them that if this is a ‘stray’ missile, that would be a different matter,” he added.

However, if similar incidents occur again, he advised Tehran to be cautious.