NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) said that it had intercepted an Iranian missile near Türkiye. The projectile was detected as it traveled through Iraq and Syria and was destroyed in a “timely manner” by the United States-led military bloc’s defenses, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The country’s Defense Ministry has confirmed that NATO anti-aircraft systems in the Eastern Mediterranean have shot down an Iranian ballistic missile headed for Türkiye’s airspace, according to a report by RT.
Debris from the interceptor missile used to destroy the incoming projectile fell in the southern Turkish province of Hatay, although it inflicted no damage on the ground, the ministry noted. No one appears to have been injured in the incident either.
“We urge all parties to refrain from taking steps that would lead to further spread of conflict in the region. We will continue to consult NATO and our other allies in this context,” the ministry said.
Ankara reserves the right to respond to “any hostile actions against our country” and will take every step necessary to “defend our territory and airspace,” the ministry warned.
Türkiye has been maintaining its distance and attempting to remain outside of the escalating conflict between NATO nations and Iran. The country “does not permit any of its air, land, or maritime assets, including its airspace, to be used for operational purposes in any conflict or war to which it is not a party,” the country’s Center for Combating Disinformation said on Saturday.
“Claims circulating on certain social media platforms that Türkiye has supported the recent attacks against Iran are entirely unfounded and constitute disinformation aimed at misleading the public,” the body stressed.
In spite of claims of neutrality, the U.S. approved a massive arms deal package for Turkiye just over two years ago.
More Weapons and More War: U.S. Approves $23 Billion Arms Deal With Turkiye