ANKARA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday warned against the repetition of the incident of a ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Turkish airspace.
Erdogan said in the capital Ankara that his country has issued warnings "in the clearest possible terms to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again."
He also said Türkiye is taking "all the necessary precautions" in consultation with its NATO allies and "will immediately intervene when necessary."
Earlier in the day, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that a ballistic projectile launched from Iran was intercepted by NATO air and missile defense units deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The ministry said the ballistic projectile was detected after launch from Iran and tracked as it transited Iraqi and Syrian airspace before turning toward Turkish airspace.
Following the interception, debris was examined in the Dortyol district of southern Hatay province. The ministry confirmed the fragment recovered belonged to the air defense munition used during the interception, not the incoming missile. No fatalities or injuries were reported in the incident. ■
