President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned on March 4 that Türkiye would not tolerate a repeat of a missile incident involving Iran, saying Ankara has issued clear warnings and is taking necessary measures to safeguard its borders and airspace.
“In these difficult days our region is going through, we never leave the security of our borders and airspace to chance,” Erdoğan said during an iftar dinner in Ankara.
He was referring to a ballistic projectile launched from Iran earlier in the day that was tracked heading toward Turkish airspace before being intercepted.
“As in this morning’s incident, we take every precaution in close consultation with our NATO allies and make the necessary interventions immediately," Erdoğan said.
"We are issuing our warnings in the clearest terms so that similar incidents do not happen again,” Erdoğan said.
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said earlier that a ballistic projectile launched from Iran was detected after passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace before turning toward Turkish airspace. NATO air and missile defense units deployed in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted the projectile before it could cause damage.
Debris later recovered in the southern province of Hatay's Dörtyol district was identified as fragments from the interceptor missile used by the air defense system rather than the incoming projectile, and no casualties or injuries were reported, officials said.
Erdoğan praised the Turkish Armed Forces and stressed the importance of maintaining strong deterrence amid growing regional tensions.
“If we want to live in peace and security in these lands that are our eternal homeland, we must constantly increase our deterrence,” he said.
Erdoğan also pointed to recent achievements in Türkiye’s defense sector, saying defense and aviation exports exceeded $10 billion in 2025 and that the Turkish military had received praise from allies during NATO exercises in Germany.
The president said the Turkish Armed Forces remain a key pillar of the country’s security and international standing, describing elite units such as the Special Forces as playing vital roles in counterterrorism operations both at home and across the border.
Erdoğan also said Türkiye would continue strengthening its military capabilities while pursuing long-term national goals.
“We will overcome every obstacle and thwart every trap,” he said. “God willing, we will succeed in leaving this country to our children as a legacy they can be proud of.”
The incident comes amid heightened tensions across the Middle East following escalating hostilities involving Iran, Israel and the United States, raising concerns that the conflict could spill over into neighboring countries.
