Turkish top general joins NATO talks as allies condemn Iranian attack on Türkiye

2026-03-07 - 03:42

General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Türkiye's Chief of General Staff, attended a NATO Military Committee video teleconference meeting Friday chaired by Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. The session included Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich and defense chiefs from allied nations, discussing regional defense and security matters. Alliance Solidarity with Türkiye Separately, the North Atlantic Council convened in an ambassadorial format chaired by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for an update on the security environment amid Iran's continuing attacks across the Middle East and beyond. Allies strongly condemned Wednesday's targeting of Turkish airspace and expressed full solidarity with Ankara. The Turkish National Defense Ministry confirmed that a ballistic munition fired from Iran toward Turkish airspace was intercepted and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense units in the Eastern Mediterranean. Regional Context The meetings come as the US-Israeli offensive against Iran continues into its second week, with Tehran launching retaliatory strikes across the region. Wednesday's incident marked the first time a NATO member's territory was directly threatened by the expanding conflict, prompting the alliance to reinforce its ballistic missile defense posture at a heightened level until the threat subsides.