NATO air and missile defence systems destroyed a ballistic missile launched from Iran that was heading toward Turkish airspace after passing over Iraq and Syria, Turkish officials said on Wednesday.
The Turkish Defence Ministry said in a statement that the missile was intercepted over the eastern Mediterranean Sea and that debris fell in an open area near the Dortyol district of southern Türkiye’s Hatay province, with no casualties or injuries reported.
Türkiye’s Presidency Communications Directorate gave further details, saying the missile was approaching Turkish airspace ‘from the Hatay region’ when it was shot down by NATO systems. A fragment of the interceptor missile landed in southern Türkiye, again causing no loss of life or damage, according to the statement.
Officials noted that this is believed to be the first time NATO forces have intercepted an Iranian missile travelling toward the airspace of a member state since the current conflict in the Middle East erupted over the weekend.
The Defence Ministry stressed that Türkiye is “capable of ensuring the security of its territory and citizens, regardless of who or where the threat comes from,” and reiterated that Ankara reserves the right to respond to any hostile act against the country. At the same time, it urged all parties to avoid steps that could “further spread the conflict in the region.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart about the incident, a Turkish diplomatic source said, adding that Fidan conveyed Türkiye’s reaction to the missile launch and stated that any actions that might lead to an expansion of the conflict should be avoided.
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