Ankara, Turkey — A ballistic missile believed to have been launched from Iran was intercepted over Turkish territory by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), marking the third such incident since the start of the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence confirmed in a statement that the missile entered the country’s airspace before it was destroyed by NATO’s air and missile defence systems positioned in the eastern Mediterranean region.
“A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was neutralised by NATO air and missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean,” the ministry said.
The interception took place hours after warning sirens sounded at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey. The military installation, located near the city of Adana in southern Turkey, hosts forces from the United States and several other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of 32 countries formed to provide collective defence.
According to the Turkish state news agency Anadolu, sirens were heard at the base earlier in the day, prompting security alerts in the surrounding area.
Local media outlets also reported additional warning sirens in the city of Batman in southeastern Turkey, about 600 kilometres east of Adana.
The incident is the third time a missile linked to Iran has been intercepted over Turkish territory since the conflict escalated. NATO air defence units shot down the first ballistic missile on Tuesday, March 4, 2026. A second missile was intercepted on Monday, March 9, 2026.
Residents of Adana said they were awakened by emergency sirens at about 3:25 am West African Time equivalent (0025 GMT). Several residents shared videos online showing what appeared to be a fast-moving object burning as it travelled across the night sky.
The Ekonomim business news website reported that the object appeared to be travelling at high speed before it was intercepted.
In a separate incident early the same morning, warning sirens also sounded in Batman at about 4:00 am local time. Journalists in the area reported that the alarm appeared to originate from a military drone facility located near the city’s airport.
The missile incidents are occurring against the backdrop of a wider regional conflict that began on Friday, February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched military operations targeting Iran. In response, the Iranian government has carried out retaliatory missile strikes across several parts of the Middle East.
Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, denied that the missile intercepted over Turkey was launched from Iranian territory. During a phone call with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he rejected claims linking Iran to the attack.
Okay News reports that Turkey occupies a strategic position in NATO’s missile defence system because it hosts critical military infrastructure used to detect and respond to potential missile threats from the Middle East.
Incirlik Air Base has served as a key NATO installation for decades and is used by United States forces as well as military personnel from Spain and Poland.
Another strategic site is the Kurecik military base in Malatya Province in central Turkey. United States personnel stationed there operate an advanced early warning radar system that NATO describes as a “key element” of its missile defence shield designed to detect missile launches, including those from Iran.
Although the Turkish government has repeatedly denied that radar information from the Kurecik facility has been used to assist Israel, the presence of the system has been a source of tension with the Iranian government.
Following Monday’s missile incident, the United States government closed its consulate in Adana and advised American citizens living in southeastern Turkey to leave the area as a precaution.
Turkey also announced on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, that a Patriot missile defence system would be deployed in Malatya Province. The decision came shortly after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said it was strengthening its “alliance-wide ballistic missile defence posture” in response to rising regional threats.
The developments highlight the growing risk that the wider Middle East conflict could draw in additional countries as missile attacks and military responses continue across the region.
