HIGHDIPLOMATIC
Turkey FM Fidan to Iran's Araghchi: airspace violations 'unacceptable' — NATO shot down second Iranian ballistic over Turkey
·Ankara, Turkey / Tehran, Iran
Turkish FM Hakan Fidan calls Iranian counterpart Araghchi: violations of Turkish airspace are unacceptable, Ankara will take all necessary measures. NATO air defenses have now shot down two Iranian ballistic missiles entering Turkish airspace. Araghchi: missiles 'did not come from Iran' — investigation promised.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan delivered a direct warning to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone call: Iran's violations of Turkish airspace are 'unacceptable,' and Ankara 'will take all measures necessary to protect Turkey.' The call came after Turkey confirmed that NATO air defenses had shot down a second Iranian ballistic missile that had entered Turkish airspace. Turkey is a NATO member and the Kurecik radar base — located in Malatya — is a critical NATO early-warning installation for tracking Iranian missiles. Two Iranian ballistic missiles violating Turkish airspace represents a serious breach of a NATO member's territorial integrity. Araghchi responded by insisting the missiles 'did not come from Iran' and pledging his country was 'investigating.' The denial strains credibility given IRGC targeting patterns in the region. Fidan's warning puts Iran on notice that further violations could trigger a formal NATO Article 4 (consultation) or even Article 5 (collective defense) response. Turkey's F-16 deployment to northern Cyprus and US Patriot deployment to Malatya both predate this call — NATO was already preparing for Turkish airspace defense.
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