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NATO intercepts Iran missile over Turkey as conflict spreads

A military aircraft is pictured on the runway at Incirlik Air Base, in the outskirts of the city of Adana, southeastern Turkey, on July 28, 2015. After months of reluctance, Turkish warplanes last week started striking militant targets in Syria and agreed to allow the US to launch its own strikes from Turkey's strategically located Incirlik Air Base. In a series of cross-border strikes, Turkey has not only targeted the IS group but also Kurdish fighters affiliated with forces battling IS in Syria and Iraq. (STR/Getty Images North America/TNS)
By Selcan Hacaoglu and Firat Kozok Bloomberg News

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization intercepted a ballistic missile from Iran that entered Turkish airspace, Ankara said, raising the risk that the military alliance could be drawn more directly into the war in the Middle East.

The interception over the southeast of the country was the second such incident in less than a week. Turkey warned it had the right to respond after the initial incursion on March 4, though Iran denied targeting the nation.

“A ballistic munition fired from Iran that entered Turkish airspace has been neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the Turkish defense ministry said in a statement.

Debris from the munition landed in Gaziantep province in southern Turkey, about 93 miles from the Incirlik Air Base — where hundreds of U.S. military personnel are stationed and U.S. nuclear weapons are widely believed to be stored.

An advanced NATO radar system in Kurecik, used to support anti-ballistic missile systems, is about 124 miles away.

The first interception also occurred in an area not far from Incirlik Air Base.

“We reiterate that all necessary steps will be taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country’s territory and airspace,” Turkey said. “We remind all parties that adhering to Turkey’s warnings in this regard is in everyone’s interest.”

Earlier on Monday, the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning to southeast Turkey, including Gaziantep, on risk of terrorism and armed conflict. It also suspended its consular services in Adana, where the Incirlik air base is located.

Ankara, which does not allow its bases or airspace to be used for strikes on Iran, has called for diplomatic efforts to diffuse the tensions.

Turkey and Iran have a complex relationship. While the two countries maintain trade ties — including shipments of Iranian natural gas to Turkey — they view each other as regional rivals. They have backed opposing sides in conflicts such as the Syrian civil war and pursued differing strategic goals across the Middle East, leading to periodic diplomatic friction despite official commitments to non-interference and cordial neighborly relations.

Iranian officials warned more than a decade ago that Tehran could target NATO’s missile-defense installations in Turkey should it come under attack from the U.S. or Israel.

At the time, Tehran said that the early-warning radar system in Kurecik was designed to help protect Israel against Iranian missile threats. The site, roughly 435 miles west of the Turkey-Iran border, is a critical component of the military alliance’s ballistic-missile defense.