Turkey‘s defence ministry has confirmed that NATO air defence systems intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile crossing Turkish airspace early this morning, the third incident since the start of the US-Israel-Iran war.
“A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the ministry said in a written statement released on Friday 13 March.
“All necessary measures are being taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country’s territory and airspace. Consultations are being conducted with the relevant country (Iran) to clarify all aspects of the incident,” the defence ministry said, adding that “All developments in the region are being closely monitored and assessed with national security as the foremost priority”.
Numerous posts on social media reported in the early hours of the morning that residents in Adana had heard sirens in the vicinity of the Incirlik airbase in southern Türkiye. Some witnesses even recorded the moment when the missile was intercepted in mid-air by missile defence systems.
Iran denies being behind attacks on Turkey
While the official statement did not specify what the target was, NATO air defence systems previously intercepted two other Iranian ballistic missiles over Turkish airspace on 4 and 9 March, at least one of which targeted the Atlantic Alliance base at Incirlik, according to military sources. In response to these attacks, Turkey deployed a Patriot anti-missile system in Malatya, home to one of NATO’s most important radar stations, located in Kürecik.
After the first Iranian missile was intercepted on 4 March, Turkey protested to Iran and summoned the Iranian ambassador to express its condemnation, warning that such incidents should not be repeated. Tehran, however, has so far denied that its armed forces fired missiles at Turkish territory and has proposed a joint investigation into what happened. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has also called on Iran to stop firing missiles into the Gulf states to prevent an escalation of the war, which threatens to spread across the region.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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