NATO-member Türkiye on Monday said it shot down a ballistic missile fired from Iran, in the second such incident five days.
"A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was neutralized by NATO air and missile defence assets in the eastern Mediterranean," it said in a statement.
Some fragments from the weaponry fell in open territory in the southern Gaziantep area, causing no injuries, the ministry added.
Monday’s incident follows last week’s interception in Türkiye’s southern border region. Since the US-Israeli attacks began on Feb. 28, Iran has fired missiles and drones at several countries across the region.
Türkiye’s Presidential Communications Director said officials have deployed all security measures while urging restraint.
“Türkiye strongly reiterates warning to all parties, namely Iran, to avoid steps endangering regional security and civilians,” Burhanettin Duran said in a statement on X.
Hours earlier on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed Iran has not launched attacks against Türkiye, Azerbaijan or the Greek Cypriot administration, maintaining Tehran’s initial rejection of targeting neighboring and “friendly” Türkiye.
The New York Times, citing U.S. military officials, reported last week that the projectile may have been aimed at the key NATO air base in Incirlik.
Türkiye has largely remained neutral in the war with Iran. However, U.S. troops are stationed in the country. The NATO air base is located in Incirlik in the southern Turkish province of Adana.
According to U.S. figures, around 1,500 military personnel are stationed there. The base is considered an important military hub in the region.
The U.S. embassy in Ankara on Monday said Washington has advised non-essential staff to leave its consulate in Adana and ordered U.S. citizens to leave “southeast Türkiye.”
NATO has since said it strengthened its "ballistic missile defence posture" as Iran steps up its strikes across the region.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the missile was spotted by Spanish troops manning a Patriot missile battery, who are based at Incirlik.
They had "detected and reported the missile attack", though they were not the ones that shot it down, she said.
