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Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman and party spokesman Omer Celik stated that a missile was shot down after it targeted Turkish airspace, while saying that the U.S.-Iran war would not have occurred had mediation taken place under Türkiye's leadership, as Ankara signaled it would not tolerate any attack directed at its territory.
A missile fired from Iran, determined to have passed over Iraq and Syria before heading toward Türkiye, was neutralized in the air on March 4.
Celik said the missile was downed because it targeted Turkish airspace, adding that the target was assessed to be in the south.
"The missile was shot down because it targeted Turkish airspace. The target is assessed to be in the south. They say they were targeting U.S. bases. There appears to be no consolidated approach within Iran. There is a contradiction between Iranian President Pezeshkian and deputies," Celik added.
"We reserve our rights. Türkiye will not condone any attack directed at it under any circumstances or pretext," he noted.
Ruling party spokesperson, speaking on Turkish media outlet NTV's live broadcast, described the conflict as one of the most horrific wars in known political history.
"Both in terms of the savagery of the war, the way it started, and the consequences it will produce afterward," he said.
"Direct aggression is targeting Iran. These savage attacks took place while a diplomatic table had been set. Who will set a diplomatic table and why, from now on?," Celik noted.
He stated that the U.S. and Israel's attack on Iran has no legal basis.
"Forcing two countries to viciously target one country through force means the collapse of the concept of order. Attacking a country to change its regime is barbarism. No one has the right to attack a country because of its regime. Fire rained down on the people. Iran's people were punished by striking a refinery in Tehran," he stated.
On mediation, Celik said: "Had it been in Türkiye under the leadership of our President, this would not have happened. Türkiye is a country that has the support of all parties. Had the table been set in Istanbul, its weight would have been different."
"The consequences of a ground operation would be horrific. This was tried in Afghanistan as well," he noted.
The Turkish official stated that Israel has no legal right to change maps or borders.
"They are threatening the region. Israel cannot have such a right or legal basis to change maps or borders. We are on the side of peace, but we have an overall preparedness to protect ourselves. Türkiye has been ready for a long time. Our answer to war threats is Türkiye's power," he said.
Celik commented on Iran's Assembly of Experts selecting Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the U.S.-Israeli strikes.
"You need to know Iran's system. A very radical policy change should not be expected. Saying that policy will change based on who the religious leader is means not knowing Iran well," he noted.
"There is a body called the Assembly of Experts. Eventually, everyone will be seeking for this war to stop and for the table to be set again. It will not change Iran's position," Celik stated.
Celik said Iran should not be left isolated but criticized its missile strikes against Gulf countries.
"Iran is being subjected to an unjust attack. A broad front must form against this war. Iran is sending missiles to Gulf countries targeting U.S. bases there. We have stated that this strategy is not very correct," he added.
"Iran firing missiles at other Islamic countries will not benefit Iran. Islamic countries must not be drawn into the war. Iran's attacks are exactly the picture Israel wants to see," Celik stated.
On terrorist organizations operating in Iran, Celik said, "Our Kurdish brothers in Iran and terrorist organizations are different. They are not a Kurdish group; they are terrorists. Drawing results from chaos is a disaster. We are against those targeting Iran's territorial integrity."
Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense announced that six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems have been deployed to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as of today, as part of a phased plan to enhance the TRNC's security.
Celik stated that the deployment targets no one.
"This step targets no one; it is solely for security. The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean is clear. We have to think about the security of the TRNC. The Greek Cypriot side is one of the parties standing closest to Zionist aggression," he added.
"The Greek Cypriot side's close relationship with Israel is a source of shame. We do not take seriously what the Greek Cypriot side and Greece are doing," he stated.
On the economic effects of the Strait of Hormuz disruption, Celik stated that Ankara's economic management acted prudently and coordinated before the war broke out.
"We are focused on four issues. The first is security. We must make new assessments in terms of regional peace and global peace. The second is economic issues. Our colleagues acted prudently in the economic field. Our economic management coordinated before the war. The third item is our citizens abroad. The fourth is food security," Celik concluded.
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