Erdogan's comments came after several incidents in which an Iranian ballistic missile launched towards Turkey was reportedly intercepted by the country's air defense systems. The incident has raised tensions in Ankara and led to a public statement by the president regarding security preparations.
During a Ramadan fast-breaking meal, Erdogan said Turkey was taking preventive measures against any possible threat to its airspace. “At this time, we are taking all preventive actions against any threat to our airspace, just as we did last night,” he said. He said his government’s main goal was to prevent Turkey from being drawn into the escalating regional conflict. “Our main priority is to keep our country out of this fire pit,” he added.
Despite the interceptions, the Iranian embassy in Ankara denies launching missiles at Turkey, saying that “no munitions were launched from Iran towards Turkey.” It added that Iran “respects the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the friendly and neighboring republic of Turkey.”
He added a dire warning about the consequences of continuing the fighting: "This war must be stopped before it becomes bigger and completely engulfs the region in flames. If the conflict continues, there will be further loss of life and property, and the cost to the global economy will increase even further."
The dramatic move came just hours after Washington updated its travel warning in the wake of the escalation. At the same time as announcing the suspension of diplomatic activity in Adana, the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed that a ballistic missile launched from Iranian territory and entering Turkish airspace was successfully intercepted by NATO air defense systems.
According to the report on the "Turkey Today" website, the remains of the intercepted missile fell in an open area in the Gaziantep region. This event marked the second time in a week that such a security incident has occurred. Turkish security forces have sealed off the scene of the crash and launched an investigation.
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