NATO will not invoke Article 5 after Iranian missile incident over Türkiye, Rutte says
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (photo: Getty Images)
Iranian missile attack on Türkiye is a serious incident, but NATO will not invoke Article 5 on collective armed response, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview with Reuters.
Rutte said that shooting down a missile in Türkiye is a serious incident, but added that Article 5 will not be invoked.
"Article 5, I think, is not in order here," he said.
Secretary General noted that NATO is on alert, adding that Iran is very "close to becoming a threat to Europe as well."
At the same time, Rutte supported US President Donald Trump in strikes on Iran.
"I think this is the right step in protecting Europe and our allies. We support the president in taking out those capabilities, as Americans will be able to do, and they are working on it," he said.
Türkiye shot down an Iranian ballistic missile
Yesterday, March 4, the Turkish military shot down an Iranian ballistic missile.
According to the country's Defense Ministry, a missile launched from Iran crossed the airspace of Iraq and Syria and was detected while moving toward the airspace of Türkiye.
It was timely neutralized by elements of NATO air defense and missile defense in the Eastern Mediterranean.
It is noted that the fragment of a missile that fell in the Dörtyol area of Hatay province belongs to an air defense system that intercepted a threat in the air. No one was injured as a result of the incident.
We add that earlier NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the Alliance could invoke Article 5 on collective defense against Iran.
