By Tuvan Gumrukcu
ANKARA, March 4 (Reuters) – Turkey said that NATO air defences destroyed a ballistic missile fired from Iran as it headed into Turkish airspace on Wednesday, marking the first time the alliance member has been drawn into the expanding Middle East conflict.
It was unclear where the missile was headed, but a NATO spokesperson said the trans-Atlantic defence bloc condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkey and that it stood firmly with all allies.
The Turkish defence ministry said the missile had passed over Iraq and Syria before it was downed by NATO air and missile defence systems stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.
There was no immediate comment from the United States, which has air forces stationed at Incirlik base in Turkey’s south. The base is in a province bordering Hatay province, where Turkish authorities said debris from the intercepting NATO missile had fallen.
“We warn all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation of conflict in the region. In this context, we will continue to consult with NATO and our other allies,” the defence ministry said, adding there were no casualties or injuries.
“All necessary steps to defend our territory and airspace will be taken resolutely and without hesitation. We remind all parties that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile actions against our country,” it added.
Two other initial statements by senior Turkish officials about the incident did not mention NATO’s Article 4, which states that allies will “consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security” of a member is threatened.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed a protest to Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi in a call after the incident, a Turkish diplomatic source said.
Ankara sought to mediate talks between Iran and the United States in the weeks before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran, triggering missile and drone attacks by Tehran. Several countries in the Gulf and elsewhere have been caught in the fallout.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Aidan Lewis)
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