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Türkiye summoned Iran's ambassador to Ankara on Monday and demanded an explanation over a second ballistic missile fired from Iranian territory toward Turkish airspace in five days, as NATO defenses intercepted the projectile over the southern city of Gaziantep and debris fell in uninhabited fields.
The Foreign Ministry called in Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh and conveyed Ankara's strong reaction and concern over the incident, according to Foreign Ministry sources. The diplomatic summons came hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered formal warnings to Tehran following an emergency cabinet meeting.
The missile was intercepted over the Sahinbey district of Gaziantep in southern Türkiye, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed. Debris landed in uninhabited areas, including the Guneysehir neighborhood, causing no casualties or injuries. The interception occurred at approximately 3:00 p.m. local time by NATO air and missile defense assets stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Defense Ministry warned that "all necessary measures will be taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country's territory and airspace."
Monday's incident follows a nearly identical event on March 4, when a first Iranian ballistic missile heading toward Turkish airspace was shot down near Hatay province after crossing Iraqi and Syrian airspace. In that earlier case, Ankara also summoned Ambassador Habibollahzadeh and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to warn against escalation.
But unlike last week's incoming missile, which was intercepted outside Türkiye's borders, the latest projectile entered Turkish airspace before being destroyed. Gaziantep sits roughly between the Incirlik Air Base, a joint Turkish-U.S. facility in Adana province to the west, and a NATO radar installation in Malatya province to the northeast, both of which are used by the United States and NATO. Ankara has maintained that Washington has not used Incirlik in its air campaign against Iran. In addition, Turkish sources claimed that the missile in the first incident was aimed towards Greek Cyprus.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said all relevant institutions had coordinated closely and activated defense measures immediately, while strongly reiterating warnings to all parties, namely Iran, to avoid steps that endanger regional stability and civilians.
A NATO spokesperson confirmed the interception and reaffirmed the alliance's readiness to defend all members. NATO has said it strengthened its ballistic missile defense posture as Iran escalates strikes across the region.
Speaking after the emergency cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex, Erdogan urged Iran not to take steps that would jeopardize a millennium of neighborly relations. "No one should enter into a calculation that would cast a shadow over our thousand-year-old law of neighborliness and brotherhood, one that would leave deep wounds in the hearts and minds of our nation," he said.
He said Türkiye had been on full alert since Feb. 28, the day the United States and Israel launched their joint military operation against Iran, with F-16 fighter jets, early warning aircraft and tanker planes monitoring Turkish airspace around the clock. He reported no unusual activity along the border and said Türkiye's three border gates with Iran were operating normally.
"Our goal, first and foremost, is to keep our country away from this fire," he said. "Ensuring the security of Türkiye and the peace of 86 million people is our greatest priority."
Erdogan said he had spoken with 16 world leaders since the crisis began and sought to reassure the public on economic stability, noting central bank reserves of approximately $200 billion and sufficient financial system liquidity. "Our state is by no means in a position of helplessness," he said.
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