Turkey

Erdogan vows to keep Turkey out of regional war as Ankara says it intercepted Iranian missile ANKARA, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged Friday that Turkey will not be drawn into the escalating conflict between a U.S.-Israeli alliance and Iran, even as Ankara said it intercepted another Iranian missile that entered Turkish airspace. Speaking at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner, Erdogan disclosed that Turkish defense systems had downed a third Iranian ballistic missile crossing into the country’s airspace. He said…

Egypt, Turkey step up African security coordination in Cairo talks on Libya, Horn of Africa and Sahel CAIRO — Egypt and Turkey held new diplomatic consultations in Cairo on Wednesday focused on instability in Libya, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, deepening their coordination on regional security and political mediation amid mounting pressures across several African theaters. The meetings, organized by Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates, marked the third round of…

NATO intercepts suspected Iranian ballistic missile over southern Turkiye, no casualties NATO air defenses intercepted what Turkish authorities said was a ballistic missile launched from Iran toward Turkiye, shooting it down over the Sahinbey district of Gaziantep on Monday as regional tensions intensified amid the United States and Israel’s war against Iran. The Turkish Ministry of National Defence said no casualties or damage were reported and described the operation as a demonstration of Ankara’s readiness to defend its…

NATO intercepts ballistic missile allegedly launched from Iran en route to Turkish airspace; Tehran denies Thursday March 5, 2026 A Turkish F16 fighting jet flies over naval ships during an annual NATO naval exercise on Turkiye's western coast on the Mediterranean NATO air and missile defense systems stationed in the eastern Mediterranean destroyed a ballistic munition detected after launch from Iran and tracked across Iraqi and Syrian airspace toward Turkiye, Ankara said Wednesday. Iran’s Armed Forces denied firing any…

Turkey denies reports of deploying S-400 air defenses to Somalia ANKARA — Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense on Thursday rejected reports that Russian-made S-400 air defense systems had been transported to Somalia, framing the claims as unfounded and reiterating that the systems remain on Turkish soil under national control. The ministry said there are no plans to position S-400 batteries outside Turkey and emphasized the systems are fully operational and available for use by the Turkish Armed Forces as required. It…

ANKARA, Türkiye — Türkiye vowed Wednesday to stand firmly with Somalia and denounced Israel’s recognition of breakaway North Western State of Somalia, with Ankara’s communications chief warning that regional aggression would not be allowed to spill into the Horn of Africa. “Any attempt targeting Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and actions to legitimize them are unacceptable. Türkiye stands with Somalia as it did in the past,” said Burhanettin Duran, head of the Presidency’s Directorate of…

ANKARA, Türkiye — Türkiye on Thursday denounced Greece’s new agreement with U.S. energy major Chevron to explore for hydrocarbons south of Crete, calling the move unlawful and contrary to good-neighborly relations in the Eastern Mediterranean. “We oppose this unlawful activity, which is being attempted in violation of the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Jurisdiction between Libya and our country,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said at its weekly briefing. The ministry added that while the work does not directly…

Turkey and Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation during President Tayyip Erdogan’s one-day visit to Addis Ababa on Tuesday, setting the stage for joint projects and manufacturing across renewable power and efficiency, Turkey’s Energy Ministry said. The accord was inked at a ceremony following talks between Erdogan and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. It marks Erdogan’s first visit to Ethiopia in 11 years and signals a fresh push to deepen Ankara’s engagement with the Horn of Africa. Turkish…

Turkey sends Cagri Bey drilling ship to Somalia in first offshore mission abroad MOGADISHU, Somalia — Turkey has dispatched its deep-sea drilling vessel Cagri Bey to Somali waters, launching Ankara’s first offshore energy exploration campaign outside its own maritime zone, officials from both countries said Sunday. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar called the deployment a “historic moment” for Turkey’s oil and gas strategy as the ship departed Tasucu port in the southern province of Mersin. The vessel is expected to reach…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Turkey has deployed M48 and M60 Patton main battle tanks to Somalia, with a shipment arriving at Mogadishu’s port this week in a move that signals a sharp expansion of Ankara’s military footprint in the Horn of Africa. Footage obtained by Axadle and corroborated by eyewitnesses showed the armored vehicles being offloaded and moving in a heavily guarded convoy through the capital. The deployment is aimed at securing high-stakes aerospace and satellite infrastructure under development in Somalia, according…