NATO intercepts second Iran missile in Turkish airspace: Ankara
This is the second time in five days that a ballistic missile fired from Iran was intercepted in Turkish airspace.
Debris of a NATO air defence system that intercepted a missile launched from Iran is seen in Dortyol, in southern Hatay province, Turkey, on Mar 4. (Photo: Reuters/Ihlas News Agency (IHA))
ANKARA: NATO said it shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace on Monday (Mar 9), prompting a stern warning from Türkiye to Tehran not to take "provocative steps".
It was the second such incident in the skies over NATO member Türkiye in five days, leading the alliance to stress its readiness "to defend all allies against any threat".
Washington meanwhile urged all American citizens to leave southeastern Türkiye, where US troops are stationed at several bases.
Since the US-Israeli attacks began, Iran has retaliated with strikes across the Middle East in a bid to hit American assets. But Türkiye appears to have been spared, despite the presence of US troops, including at Incirlik airbase just outside the southern city of Adana.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the missile incident the country would "take the necessary measures to defend our nation".
"Despite our sincere warnings, extremely wrong and provocative steps continue to be taken that will jeopardise Türkiye's friendship," he said after a cabinet meeting.
"Persistence and stubbornness in wrongdoing should be avoided."
Türkiye summoned the Iranian ambassador over the incident, foreign ministry sources said.
It did the same on Mar 4 after NATO forces also intercepted a Türkiye-bound ballistic missile launched from Iran.
FRAGMENTS HIT CONSTRUCTION SITE
Some fragments from the weaponry fell in open territory in the Gaziantep area, about 200km east of Adana, causing no injuries, the ministry added.
"At around 11.30am (4.30pm, Singapore time), a fragment of ballistic munition fell onto an empty area above the TOKI housing estate in the Guneysehir district of Gaziantep," the governor's office said, adding there was no damage.
Images from the scene appeared to show the missile fragment lying on the ground at a building site.
"We were sitting at home when suddenly we heard a big bang. Since there's a construction site here, we thought the noise was coming from there. But when we came and looked, we saw the missile fragment," local resident Ramazan Akpinar told DHA news agency.
He said it made a loud noise but there was "no explosion".
In a post on X, presidential communications chief Burhanettin Duran said Türkiye would not hesitate to protect its airspace and border security.
"We once again strongly reiterate our warning to all parties, particularly Iran, to refrain from actions that could endanger regional security and put civilians at risk," he wrote.
On Mar 4, NATO troops intercepted a Türkiye-bound ballistic missile launched from Iran, prompting the alliance to strengthen its "ballistic missile defence posture" as Iran steps up its strikes across the region.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the missile was spotted by Spanish troops manning a Patriot missile battery, who are based at Incirlik.
They had "detected and reported the missile attack", though they were not the ones that shot it down, she said.
