Erdoğan: Türkiye taking preventive measures against airspace threats, avoiding 'fire pit'

2026-03-13 - 23:02

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday said the country is entering a new era in which it must pick up the pace and become more agile and proactive, emphasizing that "keeping our country away from this fire pit is our top priority." Speaking at an iftar dinner in Istanbul, Erdoğan addressed recent security incidents and the broader regional conflict. Airspace defense "At the same time, as was the case last night, we are taking the necessary preventive measures against any threats that violate our airspace," Erdoğan said, following a ballistic munition launched from Iran that entered Turkish airspace and was neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets in the Eastern Mediterranean. The president's remarks underscore Ankara's determination to protect its sovereignty amid spillover effects from the US-Israeli war with Iran. Unity against provocations Erdoğan urged citizens to exercise caution amid sectarian and ethnic tensions being stirred up amid attacks on Iran. He said that Türkiye proceeds with "great caution in the face of plots, traps, provocations aimed at dragging our country into war." "As long as we stand firmly united, we can break the unwelcome hands reaching out to our independence and future," he added. Condemnation of international silence Addressing Israel's acts of genocide, Erdoğan said some countries turned a blind eye to oppression and genocide, while others backed genocidal actors such as Israel. "Apart from a handful of countries, institutions, and organizations with conscience and courage, virtually no one has spoken out against these atrocities in our region or strived to stop them," he said. Moral eclipse "In a world suffering from a moral eclipse, we, as Türkiye, are all together striving to be the conscience of humanity," the president said. He highlighted the disparity in global attention, noting that "suffering of orphaned Gazan and Syrian children drew less attention than a lone penguin, due to the virtual world's fake conscience." Erdoğan reaffirmed that Ankara will continue to stand by the oppressed and will not cower in the face of oppression.