The Daily Populous Monday March 9th, 2026 evening edition
Authored by jpost.com and submitted by Cannot-Forget

NATO confirmed on Monday that it had intercepted another missile heading to Turkey.

"NATO stands firm in its readiness to defend all allies against any threat," NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said in a post on X.

Turkey said earlier on Monday that NATO air defenses shot down a second ballistic missile that was fired from Iran and had entered Turkish airspace, warning that it will take any necessary steps against threats.

This marks the second Iranian ballistic missile in the last week that has targeted the south of Turkey, which is a NATO member and Iran's neighbour. Ankara had warned Iran against attacking again on Saturday, but has not suggested it wants to formally call on alliance members for further protection.

"We once again emphasize that all necessary measures will be taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country's territory and airspace," the Turkish Defence Ministry said, adding some ammunition parts had fallen in the southeastern province of Gaziantep but there had been no casualties.

"We also reiterate that it is in everyone's interest to heed Turkey's warnings in this regard," it said.

It was unclear where the missile was headed before it was intercepted by NATO defenses stationed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Turkish soldier guard the border while Pro-Kurdish protesters gather on top of a hill as they try to march to the border zone with the Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli. January 20, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Ensar Ozdemir)

US air forces are stationed at the Incirlik base in southern Turkey, and there is a NATO radar base in Malatya province to the northeast that provides vital protection for the alliance. Ankara said fragments from the missile fell in empty fields in Gaziantep, which sits roughly between the two.

Turkey warns all sides, especially Iran, to avoid escalation

Burhanettin Duran, President Tayyip Erdogan's communications director, said Ankara was strongly reiterating its warning to all parties, namely Iran, to avoid steps that endanger regional stability and civilians.

Ankara says that Washington has not used Incirlik in its air assault, alongside Israel, on Iran, which triggered Tehran's missile and drone attacks.

Iran did not immediately comment on the incident, but it has said repeatedly that it is not at war with regional countries and is not explicitly targeting Turkey.

Turkey, which had sought to mediate US-Iran talks before the air war that began last week, has previously said it had no intention currently of invoking NATO's Article 4that would call allies to consult if a member is threatened.

That could lead to invoking the alliance's Article 5, which would call NATO to defend its attacked ally.

Pleasant_Arugula7571 on March 9th, 2026 at 15:38 UTC »

Two intercepts in a week is starting to look less like Iranian miscalculation and more like a deliberate probe. Tehran knows Turkish airspace triggers NATO protocols but they're betting Ankara won't invoke Article 4 consultations while they're still pursuing their own regional interests.

The Gaziantep debris pattern matters here too. Southeastern Turkey hosts significant infrastructure supporting operations in Syria and northern Iraq. If these "stray" missiles are actually mapping response times and radar coverage, we could be watching prep work for something bigger.

Erdogan's in a tough spot. Go full NATO response and you're locked into the Western camp when Turkey's been playing both sides for years. Stay quiet and you invite more tests. My guess is we see some bilateral military-to-military communication with Iran in the next 48 hours, behind closed doors. Neither side wants this to escalate, but the room for accidents keeps shrinking.

sentantayt on March 9th, 2026 at 14:04 UTC »

Turkey does not want Iran to fall so i imagine their response will be mild. Possible Kurdish autonomy resulting from a collapse and inflation from the energy crisis are too dangerous for them.

Plus, if Iran goes Turkey will be Israels main regional rival.

Cannot-Forget on March 9th, 2026 at 12:58 UTC »

NATO air defenses shot down a second Iranian ballistic missile that entered Turkish airspace, according to Turkish Ministry of National Defense. The missile was fired from Iran and intercepted over southern Turkey, with debris falling in fields near Gaziantep but causing no casualties.

This is the second such incident in a week. Turkey warned that it will respond decisively to any threats to its territory and urged Iran to avoid further escalation, while noting it has not yet asked NATO to formally invoke alliance consultations.