Türkiye Intercepts Third Iranian Missile in Two Weeks as Erdoğan Warns of War Traps
By Bosphorus Geopolitics Desk
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday that his government is acting with extreme caution against attempts to drag Türkiye into the escalating regional conflict, after a third missile linked to Iran was intercepted over Turkish territory overnight.
"We are acting very carefully against the schemes, traps, and provocations that seek to pull our country into war," Erdoğan told the National Will Iftar gathering in Istanbul. "We are focused not only on the visible side of events but on what lies hidden behind the curtain, excluding no possibility, analyzing and examining everything in the finest detail."
He made clear that keeping Türkiye out of the conflict is the government's primary concern. "Keeping our country away from this fire pit is our top priority," he said. "Türkiye is taking necessary measures against all threats violating its airspace, as it did last night."
Third Interception in Two Weeks
Türkiye's Defense Ministry confirmed that a ballistic missile fired from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was intercepted overnight by NATO air and missile defense systems deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean. The ministry said the threat was neutralized and that authorities would respond decisively to any danger directed at the country's territory or airspace.
It is the third such incident since early March. A previous missile was intercepted on March 9 over Gaziantep, and another on March 4 in Hatay's Dörtyol district. Iran's embassy in Ankara denied launching any missile toward Türkiye and said Tehran is prepared to form a joint technical team to investigate.
Warning on Sectarian Incitement
Erdoğan also directed a pointed warning at the domestic audience, urging vigilance against narratives designed to inflame communal tensions alongside the military incidents. "I also ask you to be very careful about the sectarian and ethnic provocations being stirred up simultaneously with the attacks on Iran," he said.
Fidan: No to Civil War in Iran
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reinforced the government's position a day earlier, on March 12, during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Ankara. Fidan said Türkiye is "completely opposed to any plan that aims to provoke civil war in Iran and fuel conflicts along ethnic or religious fault lines," and that Ankara would not allow such efforts.
"We are against plans aimed at triggering a civil war in Iran and provoking conflicts along ethnic and religious fault lines," Fidan said.
He also warned against Israel's continuing bombardment of Lebanon, saying the strikes risk pushing the Lebanese state toward collapse. "Israel's attacks must end before the Lebanese state collapses," Fidan said.
Fidan confirmed that Türkiye is in active contact with both Washington and Tehran in an effort to halt the fighting, though no breakthrough has been announced.