Turkey says NATO intercepts third Iranian ballistic missile
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- NATO shoots down a third Iranian missile near Incirlik air base, US troops present.
- Erdogan emphasizes caution, avoiding escalation and prioritizing Turkey’s safety.
Turkey said on Friday that NATO intercepted a third ballistic missile from Iran, hours after alarms were triggered at the Incirlik air base, a NATO facility near Adana hosting US and allied troops. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that preventing Turkey from being drawn into the Middle East war remains the government’s “top priority.”
The missile was neutralized by NATO air and missile defence assets, according to Turkey’s defence ministry. Sirens at the base woke local residents in the early hours, with videos circulating online showing a fast-moving object in the sky. Analysts said it was likely fragments from the missile or its interceptor.
Read more: NATO intercepts second Iran missile in Turkish airspace
Iran’s embassy in Ankara denied launching any projectile toward Turkey, but experts called the claim improbable. “The first one you can explain it away, the second one possibly, but the third? No. This cannot be accidental,” said Sinan Ulgen, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe.
Turkey has deployed additional missile defence assets, including a Patriot system in Malatya, to protect key facilities such as the Kurecik radar site and NATO installations. Erdogan pledged an “appropriate and measured” response while maintaining “common sense” to avoid escalation.
Read more: UAE intercepts Iranian attacks, six dead, 131 injured across 25+ nationalities
The incidents have heightened regional tension, particularly given the strategic presence of US troops and tactical nuclear weapons at Incirlik, as well as Turkey’s role in NATO’s early-warning missile network. Analysts warn Ankara must balance deterrence with restraint to prevent further escalation with Iran.
