Turkey has shot down an Iranian missile over NATO airspace amid ongoing missile attacks from Tehran.
Officials from Turkey’s Defence Ministry stated that the interception was carried out by NATO Air and Missile Defence forces stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The forces successfully targeted and destroyed the incoming missile.
Authorities reported that the debris from the missile landed on uninhabited land in Gaziantep, also known locally as Dilok, and confirmed that there was no damage to infrastructure or property.
They emphasised that the interception prevented the missile from penetrating deeper into Turkish territory, thus mitigating any further risk.
In a statement released on Monday, the Ministry confirmed that a missile launched from Iranian territory towards Turkey was intercepted by NATO defence systems operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Ministry of National Defence said in a statement: “Turkey places great importance on good neighbourly relations and regional stability; however, we reiterate that we will take all necessary steps with persistence and without hesitation against any threat to our country’s territory and airspace.
Gaziantep, located in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border, is one of the country’s largest cities and a major regional centre.
On Sunday, Iran’s Armed Forces denied that they had launched any missile toward Turkish territory. They insisted in a statement carried by state media that Tehran fully respects Turkey’s sovereignty.
This response came a day after Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence reported that a ballistic missile fired from Iran—after passing over Syria and Iraq—had entered Turkish airspace and was subsequently intercepted and destroyed by NATO air and missile defence systems over the eastern Mediterranean.
In light of recent events, the US has advised non-essential staff at its consulate in the southern Turkish city of Adana, near a key NATO base, to leave, and has ordered US citizens to leave “southeast Turkey,” according to a statement from the US embassy in Ankara.
The US said in a statement: “On March 9, 2026, the Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and US government employee family members to leave Consulate General Adana due to the safety risks.
“Americans in southeast Turkey are strongly encouraged to depart now”.
