A ballistic missile fired from Iran and heading towards Turkish airspace after passing over Syria and Iraq was destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkiye’s Ministry of National Defence said on Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear where the missile was intended to strike.
“A ballistic munition launched from Iran, which was detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading towards Turkish airspace, was engaged in a timely manner by NATO air and missile defence assets stationed in the eastern Mediterranean and rendered inactive,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry confirmed there were no casualties or injuries. It added that Ankara reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions against it and urged all parties to avoid further escalation.
Diplomatic Protest And NATO Response
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Ankara’s protest over the missile in a call with his Iranian counterpart, Reuters reported.
During the conversation, Fidan told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that any steps that could further widen the conflict must be avoided, the agency added.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkiye, stating that the alliance “stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkiye”.
“Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence,” Hart said.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said there was “no sense” that the interception would trigger NATO’s Article 5 clause, under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Strategic Significance Of Incirlik
Incirlik Air Base in Turkiye is used by foreign military forces, primarily the US and other NATO allies. While under the control of the Turkish Air Force, it operates as a joint Turkish-US airbase.
The base played a key logistical and air support role during the 1991 Gulf War and later served as a cargo hub for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although Turkiye denied US permission to use the base for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it was heavily utilised for anti-ISIL (ISIS) strikes beginning in 2014.
Cyprus Closes Airspace Amid Drone Threats
Elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean, Cypriot authorities temporarily closed the airspace above Larnaca on Wednesday after detecting what they described as a suspicious object.
On Sunday, an Iranian-made drone caused minor damage at a United Kingdom military base on the island. Two additional drones were shot down on Monday.
“Two Greek jets took off on Wednesday to shoot down a suspected drone just outside Cyprus’ airspace,” Al Jazeera’s John Psaropoulos reported from Limassol.
“Greek frigates are also circling the waters around Cyprus to help provide targeting coordinates for two pairs of F-16s sent here by Greece that they’re supposed to operate in tandem.”
Psaropoulos said the security situation remained tense despite no strikes in the past two days.
“The one on Sunday night was the only one, but because there have been other drones headed towards Cyprus, it has been deemed necessary to send all possible means here to make sure that those drones continue to be downed offshore,” he said.
