Turkey Boosts Air Defences After Missiles Fired Toward Territory From Iran

Authorities in Turkey on Tuesday said the country was strengthening its air defence systems after two missiles were fired toward its territory from Iran.

The move comes after recent interceptions of projectiles believed to have originated from across the border, raising security concerns along Turkey’s eastern and southern regions.

According to Turkey’s Ministry of Defence in Ankara, a Patriot missile defense system will be prepared for deployment in Malatya Province as part of measures coordinated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The ministry said the system would enhance protection of Turkish airspace and strengthen the country’s defensive capabilities.

On Monday, NATO member Turkey intercepted a missile for the second time within a week after it was fired toward its territory from Iran.

Debris from the intercepted projectile reportedly fell on open ground near Gaziantep, a southern Turkish city close to the border with Syria.

A similar incident occurred last week when another ballistic missile was intercepted in the border region with Iran. Fragments from that interception landed in open terrain in Hatay Province.

Authorities said no injuries were recorded in either incident, though it remained unclear what the missiles were targeting.

Turkey hosts foreign military personnel at several installations, including the NATO facility at İncirlik Air Base in the country’s southeast, where troops from the United States are stationed.

Following the incidents, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

According to Turkish authorities, Pezeshkian denied that the intercepted missiles were of Iranian origin.