Erdogan vows to keep Türkiye out of regional conflict, warns

ANKARA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Türkiye is maintaining a high level of vigilance amid escalating regional tensions, warning that "provocative steps" could strain Ankara's relations with Tehran.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said all relevant institutions are working in coordination and remain on alert in response to the evolving security environment. He added that the government's primary objective is to shield the country from the ongoing turmoil in the region.

His remarks came after a missile launched from Iran was intercepted over Türkiye's southeastern province of Gaziantep earlier on Monday. The ballistic munition, which had entered Turkish airspace, was neutralized by NATO air and missile defence assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean. The ministry confirmed that there were no casualties or injuries.

"We are closely monitoring all developments with our experienced teams. We are not letting our guard down. Our goal is to keep our country away from this fire," he said.

The president stated that Türkiye had delivered the necessary warnings to Iran, but "wrong steps" continued to be taken despite those warnings.

"Despite our warnings, wrong and provocative steps that could strain Türkiye's friendship continue to be taken," he said. "No one should pursue a course of action that would cast a shadow over our thousand-year-old neighborly and brotherly ties and leave deep wounds in the hearts and minds of our nation."

"In the context of today's incident, I once again remind that there should be no insistence or stubbornness in persisting in mistakes," Erdogan said.

He added that Türkiye's airspace was being monitored around the clock against potential threats. "Our F-16s, airborne early warning aircraft and tanker planes are observing our airspace 24/7 against possible threats," he said.