The North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Wednesday shot down a ballistic missile fired from Iran and headed toward Turkish airspace, marking the first time the alliance stepped in to defend a member state since the US and Israel began attacking Tehran last week.
“We condemn Iran’s targeting of Türkiye,” NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said in a statement. “NATO stands firmly with all allies, including Türkiye, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region.”
The “ballistic munition” flew through Iraqi and Syrian airspace before it was shot down by NATO air defenses stationed in the eastern Mediterranean region, Turkey’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement. The target of the missile was not immediately clear.
Read more: Insurance Gaps Leave Airlines Exposed as Iran Conflict Widens
Turkey summoned Iran’s ambassador to Ankara while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to warn against actions that could spread the conflict further across the region, local media reported.
Debris from the interceptor fell around the Dortyol area of the southern Turkish province of Hatay, the presidency’s communications director said. There were no casualties.
It’s the first time Turkey has found itself embroiled in the conflict, which is now in its fifth day. The NATO member is not a participant in the war and has not allowed its airspace to be used for attacks on Iran.
However, Turkey is home to an early-warning radar system — a critical component of NATO’s ballistic-missile defense — at Kurecik, some 435 miles (700 kilometers) west of the Iranian border. Dortyol, where debris from the interceptor fell, lies some 60 miles east of Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base, which once hosted a major US military presence. In between the two is the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, a terminal for Azeri oil.
“We remind all parties that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile actions against our country,” the defense ministry said. “We warn all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation of conflicts in the region.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US was aware of the interception and was looking into the details. He said in response to a reporter’s question that the incident wouldn’t trigger NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense, which considers an attack on one member an attack on all.
After the incident, Turkey’s Borsa Istanbul 100 Index pared gains of as much as 1.2% and closed 0.1% up.
Photograph: A USAF F-16 fighter aircraft at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey; photo credit: USAF/Getty Images Europe
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