Turkiye has sent carefully calibrated signals to both Washington and Tehran as the war between the United States, Israel and Iran enters its second week. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered condolences following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, positioning Turkiye as neutral while maintaining open diplomatic channels with Tehran. As the only member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization still engaging Iran directly, Ankara is seeking to preserve dialogue amid escalating tensions.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan publicly criticized Iran's strategy of striking Gulf states indiscriminately, calling it a grave mistake and signaling Ankara's discomfort with the trajectory of the conflict. Shortly afterward, Turkiye's Defense Ministry announced that a ballistic missile fired from Iran had been intercepted by North Atlantic Treaty Organization systems before entering Turkish airspace. While Iran denied targeting Turkiye and moved quickly to ease tensions, Ankara summoned the Iranian ambassador, underscoring the seriousness of the incident without escalating further.

Turkiye emphasized that the interception was carried out by alliance elements, subtly reminding Tehran of its treaty commitments while maintaining that it does not seek confrontation. Ankara has consistently stated that it will only consider military action if core security thresholds are crossed, such as direct attacks on its territory or threats linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party.

Ankara is also alarmed by reports that the United States may cooperate with Kurdish armed groups inside Iran to destabilize Tehran. Turkish officials fear such moves could inflame separatist tensions across the region, drawing in Turkiye, Syria and Iran simultaneously. For Ankara, the Kurdish dimension of the conflict represents one of the most volatile and dangerous aspects of an already expanding war.