Politics Nato assumes Iranian fire on Turkey
NATO assumes that Iran deliberately fired a missile at alliance member Turkey. "We condemn Iran's targeting of Turkey," said Nato spokeswoman Allison Hart. She emphasized that NATO stands firmly by the side of all alliance partners and referred to its support in the areas of air defence and missile defence.
04.03.2026, 15:01
SDA
In the afternoon, a NATO defense system intercepted a missile fired from Iran in the Turkish border region. According to the Ministry of Defense in Ankara, the ballistic missile was heading towards Turkish airspace and passed through Iraqi airspace. A part of the defensive missile fell on an open area in the border province of Hatay; there were no casualties.
NATO alliance unlikely
Despite the missile fire from Turkey, it is extremely unlikely that NATO will become a party to the conflict. Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview with ARD's Brussels studio on Tuesday that there was absolutely no one who believed that NATO would be involved in the war.
"This is Iran, this is the Gulf, this is outside NATO territory," he explained, referring to the scope of the Alliance's mutual assistance clause. In addition, all member states would have to agree to an alliance deployment.
Erdogan warned of conflagration
Turkey is neutral in the war against Iran and has long sought a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed concern at the weekend about the American-Israeli attacks on Iran and called on all sides to exercise restraint. He warned that the Middle East could become a "ring of fire" if the conflict is not contained.
US soldiers are also stationed in Turkey. The most important NATO airbase in the country is in Incirlik in the southern Turkish province of Adana. According to US figures, around 1,500 military personnel are stationed there. The base is considered an important hub for Nato in the region.
