Urgent move by Turkey: 'Patriot' deployed and ready

"During recent events in our region, necessary measures are being taken to protect our borders and airspace, and we are in consultation with NATO and our allies," the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on the social media platform X.

They added that, in addition to national measures, NATO has strengthened air and missile defense, and that the 'Patriot' system is currently located in Malatya and being prepared for operational readiness to support the protection of Turkish airspace.

'Provocative steps'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it should be recalled, earlier warned Iran not to take further 'provocative steps' after a ballistic missile entered Turkish airspace.

His statements, reported by the Turkish state agency Anadolu, followed the announcement by the Turkish Ministry of Defense that a ballistic missile launched from Iran had entered Turkish airspace before being neutralized by NATO air and missile defense systems in the eastern Mediterranean.

Iran subsequently denied launching a missile toward Turkey.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei suggested that it was a 'false flag operation,' but did not accuse any specific country.