Türkiye summons Iranian envoy to protest ballistic missile violation

2026-03-09 - 20:42

Turkish diplomatic authorities delivered a formal protest to Iran Monday, summoning Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh to the Foreign Ministry following a ballistic missile incident that violated Turkish airspace. The ministry demanded an explanation from Tehran regarding the projectile, which was fired from Iranian territory and entered Turkish airspace before being neutralized by NATO defense systems. Missile debris lands in Gaziantep The Turkish National Defense Ministry confirmed on the social media platform X that a ballistic missile originating from Iran had entered Turkish airspace and was successfully engaged by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean. Ministry officials reported that debris from the intercepted missile fell onto vacant land in the country's southeastern Gaziantep province, emphasizing that there were no casualties or injuries resulting from the incident. Regional conflict threatens Turkish territory Monday's diplomatic protest comes amid escalating US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began Feb. 28, which have so far killed more than 1,200 people including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting American military assets, raising the risk of further incidents affecting neighboring states. Türkiye, sharing borders with several conflict zones, has maintained vigilance while pursuing diplomatic channels to prevent being drawn into the widening war. Ankara asserts sovereign rights The summons represents Türkiye's assertion of its sovereign right to protect its territory and airspace from violations, regardless of the source. While maintaining communication with all parties to the conflict, Ankara has made clear that such incidents cannot be tolerated and that Tehran bears responsibility for preventing recurrence. The protest follows earlier warnings from Turkish officials that while Ankara seeks to avoid escalation, it will not hesitate to defend its national security interests against any threats.