Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Iran that the violation of Turkish airspace cannot be justified under any circumstances. During a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Erdogan said that attacks on regional countries are helping no one and emphasized that Turkey is working to open diplomatic channels to end ongoing conflicts.

Erdogan reiterated his position during a cabinet meeting, stating that despite Turkey’s sincere warnings, provocative actions are being taken that endanger the friendship between the two nations. His comments followed an incident in which NATO’s air defense system shot down a second Iranian ballistic missile that entered Turkish airspace on Monday night.

Turkey, which has the second-largest army in NATO and a 500-year stable border with Iran, maintains unusually close contact with Tehran compared to other NATO members. Erdogan has also sought to position himself as a mediator in crises such as those in Ukraine and Gaza.