A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was successfully intercepted by NATO air and missile defense systems in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, underscoring Ankara’s readiness to act decisively against any threat to its sovereignty.

The ministry said the projectile was detected and neutralized before it could pose a risk, highlighting the effectiveness of coordinated defense mechanisms in the region.

It continued by emphasizing that all necessary measures are being implemented without hesitation to safeguard the country’s territory and airspace. The statement also stressed that developments across the region are being monitored closely, with national security remaining the top priority.

The interception comes amid heightened regional tensions, reinforcing Türkiye’s commitment to maintaining stability while protecting its borders through rapid and coordinated military responses.

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Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu dismissed reports that the Greek Cypriot administration is preparing a bid to join NATO, calling the idea unrealistic and saying neither Türkiye nor the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would allow such a move to materialize.

Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM) 2026, organized by Türkiye’s Communications Directorate in Istanbul, Ertuğruloğlu said the Greek Cypriot administration could “keep dreaming” about NATO membership, but added that Ankara was closely watching developments and that such an outcome was not possible.

He said the Turkish Cypriot side viewed the issue as part of a broader political effort by Greek Cyprus to shift regional balances in its favor, while ignoring the realities on the island and in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Ertuğruloğlu also underscored the importance of Türkiye’s support for the TRNC saying Turkish Cypriots remain secure thanks to Ankara’s political and military backing. He described Türkiye as the Turkish Cypriot side’s sole pillar of support and said the two sides act together on both political and security matters.

Asked about possible security risks for the island as tensions continue in the region amid the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, Ertuğruloğlu said there was no likelihood of a military attack against Northern Cyprus as long as Türkiye’s security guarantee remained in place.

He said those who might consider such a move were well aware of the consequences, adding that the deployment of six Turkish F-16 fighter jets to Northern Cyprus was not without reason. He stressed that the security of Türkiye and the TRNC should be viewed as a whole.

Ertuğruloğlu said there was no hesitation over protecting the interests and security of the Turkish nation in the Eastern Mediterranean. He also praised Türkiye’s approach in the region, saying Ankara has pursued a rational policy centered on peace while also demonstrating that it is prepared to take stronger measures if necessary.

Responding to a question about whether military shipments sent to Greek side by Britain and some European Union countries could become permanent, Ertuğruloğlu said he did not believe that would happen.

He described such moves as part of what he called a political game aimed at reviving discussion of Greek Cyprus joining NATO, and said no country backing Greek Cyprus would be in a position to go to war with Türkiye.

Türkiye, over the past weeks, has deployed six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems to the TRNC as part of a phased plan aimed at strengthening the territory’s security, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced.

The development came amid the rising tensions in the Middle East and growing military cooperation between the Greek Cypriot administration and its Western partners.

According to the Greek Cypriot and Greek media reports, two Greek frigates have recently arrived in waters controlled by the Greek Cypriot administration.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani to discuss escalating regional tensions and recent developments, Türkiye’s Presidential Communications Directorate said Monday.

During the call, Erdoğan conveyed his condolences to Barzani following an attack targeting his residence, expressing solidarity and well wishes.

The two leaders also discussed the ongoing conflict in the region, with Erdoğan emphasizing that Türkiye stands firmly against such attacks and stressing the need for an immediate end to the violence.

The conversation reflects ongoing diplomatic engagement between Ankara and the KRG amid heightened instability across the region.

Barzani’s residence in Duhok was targeted in an attack on Saturday, part of a series of escalating security incidents in northern Iraq.

More than half a dozen drone strikes were recorded across areas controlled by the KRG the same day. No group has officially claimed responsibility so far. However, in recent weeks, both Iran and Iran-backed militias in Iraq have acknowledged carrying out attacks in the region, despite the KRG maintaining a position of neutrality amid widening regional tensions.

The incidents come against the backdrop of a broader escalation in the Middle East following a joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran launched on Feb. 28. The war has resulted in significant casualties, including the death of Iran’s then-supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

In response, Tehran has carried out multiple waves of drone and missile attacks targeting Israel as well as countries such as Jordan, Iraq and several Gulf states hosting U.S. military assets. These retaliatory strikes have caused casualties, damaged infrastructure and disrupted both global markets and international aviation.

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The Communications Presidency’s Center for Countering Disinformation rejected claims that Türkiye would side with Iran in a U.S.-Israel-Iran war and make an incursion into Lebanon to that extent.

In a social media post on Monday, the center said rumors circulating on social media were “a product of disinformation.”

“Türkiye has stated from the beginning that it is not a party to the war. Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, intensive diplomatic efforts are being carried out to end the attacks as soon as possible, prevent the spread of the war, and establish a lasting peace. This stance of Türkiye is appreciated by all actors, especially the conflicting parties. Such disinformation posts are also a part of psychological warfare and aim to damage Türkiye’s image and overshadow its constructive role in the crisis. The public is strongly requested not to rely on groundless allegations and to only take into account the statements of official authorities,” the Center said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced Türkiye’s concerns about the war in talks with U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month, highlighting that Ankara did not want to be a part of the conflict.

Erdoğan last Thursday hit back at those taking sides in the U.S.-Israel-Iran war and criticized those looking at the situation through a sectarian perspective.

“There is no difference between bloodshed in Iran, (in Gulf countries), Lebanon. Everyone mercilessly slaughtered is our brothers and sisters. For attackers, there is no difference between Shiite and Sunni. We don’t discriminate between our neighbors, brothers; we stand by our brothers for the good and bad,” he said at a speech at an event organized by his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara.

“It is not right to incite the (sectarian) divide, not right to serve the Zionist agenda of dividing and conquering,” he added.

“With Israel’s provocations on Feb. 28, the operations initiated against Iran continue to drown our region in blood and the smell of gunpowder. Children who know nothing are becoming targets of bombs while listening to lessons in their schools. Our region is experiencing the most difficult period of the last century. The network of genocide is dragging our geography into a great dead end. Those mercilessly killed are our brothers. The children dying at school desks are our offspring. What is the difference between the tears shed in Isfahan, Tabriz and Tehran and those shed in Beirut, Doha, and Riyadh? What difference does it make to the massacre network if our name is Ali, Murtaza or Omer? Whether in Iran or the Gulf, are we not the ones harmed by every missile fired? Even if our sects and origins are different, is it not our blood flowing in all four corners of our geography? Let everyone be sure of this: We neither discriminate between our brothers and neighbors nor do we remain spectators to the pain of our brothers. We do not leave the brotherly and friendly nations we know in good times alone in their bad days. The heavy bill that has emerged is being paid first by Muslims and then by everyone,” he said.

Türkiye maintains close ties with all sides of the conflict except Israel. “The brotherly Turkish nation played an important role in solidarity with the Muslim ummah for years. We will continue this honorable path together, with divine blessings,” Neighboring Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a tweet last Wednesday.

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Turkish prosecutors have detained four suspects as part of an embezzlement investigation linked to alleged irregularities in the accounts of a municipal company owned by the Etimesgut Municipality in Ankara, authorities said Monday.

In a statement, the Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation was launched after Türkiye’s Court of Accounts identified irregularities during its routine 2025 audits of the Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Etimesgut Municipality.

The findings were related to the municipality’s soup kitchen, food procurement and distribution operations, as well as the accounts of Etimkent A.S., a company wholly owned by the municipality.

Prosecutors said detention orders were issued for four people, including Etimkent A.S. general manager, Etimesgut Municipality Social Assistance Affairs director, an employee who served as an accounting officer in the same department, and another person who was responsible for the company’s cash desk.

Simultaneous searches and seizure operations were carried out at the suspects’ homes and workplaces, and all four were taken into custody, the prosecutor’s office said.

Etimesgut Municipality said in a separate written statement that the case was not the result of a politically motivated operation against the municipality, but rather stemmed from an earlier internal inspection and criminal complaint filed by municipal authorities.

The municipality said one of the employees named in the investigation had already been suspended as part of its own administrative inquiry. It added that employee S.K. had been reported to prosecutors on Sept. 11, 2025, by both the municipality and its company in the capacity of complainants.

Municipal officials said they were closely monitoring the judicial process and would continue to share details with the public in a transparent manner.

Legal troubles are mounting for Türkiye’s main opposition CHP as a fresh wave of bribery and corruption investigations has led to the detention of another mayor and dozens of municipal officials.

Last week, operations targeting CHP municipalities in Uşak and Marmaris also resulted in the detention of 24 people, including Özkan Yalım and a deputy mayor in Marmaris, according to authorities. The detentions mark the latest development in a series of probes focusing on opposition-led local governments.

At least a dozen CHP mayors have been detained or arrested since last year, with several more facing ongoing corruption and bribery investigations or trials. High-profile cases include Istanbul’s suspended mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, and Antalya’s ousted mayor, Muhittin Böcek, whose cases have drawn national attention following their arrests late last year and trials that began earlier this month.

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Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who was once touted as the future vice president of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), will soon face charges for astronomical spending on public concerts as details of an investigation disclose. The details, published by the Sabah newspaper on Monday, show Yavaş was aware of the scandal and approved it.

Experts uncovered a trove of evidence including WhatsApp correspondence between suspects and documents pointing out to irregularities. H.A.B., head of municipality’s subsidiary in charge of culture and social works, was among the suspects detained as part of the probe. The correspondence between H.A.B. and organizers of the events, are among the evidence.

Before any tender decision, official announcement or planning was in place, artist fees and budgets were determined through messaging, records show. The content of the correspondence bolsters allegations that tender processes were shaped before formal procedures began. An expert report noted that each inflated payment was made with Yavaş’ knowledge and approval.

According to findings in the investigation file, 32 concerts organized by the Yavaş administration between 2021 and 2024 resulted in a total public loss of TL 154,453,000 ($3.47 million). Tenders allegedly tailored to specific parties under justifications such as “single source,” “special authorization” and “direct procurement” were recorded as one of the largest organization-related scandals in municipal history. The messages between H.A.B. and organizers suggest that a kind of “exchange” was set up for concerts that had not yet even gone to tender. The expert report states that company owners sending price lists to municipal bureaucrats for projects that had not yet been approved constitutes clear evidence of bid rigging.

One of the major pieces of evidence in the investigation file is a message dated July 7, 2023. In it, H.A.B. tells organizer S.Ç.: “OK, Y. and D. (artists) – I’ll tell the mayor tomorrow at the breakfast event.” The subsequent admission was cited as evidence that the matter was presented directly for Yavaş’s approval.

According to the expert report, Yavaş personally attended the breakfast event on July 8, 2023, one day after the exchange. “This unequivocally demonstrates that Yavaş was aware of every stage of these high-priced concert tenders in the finest detail and that every payment was made with his direct approval,” the report states.

In another exchange dated Sept. 8, 2022, H.A.B. instructs an individual who worked on Yavaş’s election campaign to “lock in the deal.”

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