Turkey did not say where the missile was intercepted. But residents near Incirlik Air Base, which hosts U.S. troops, reported hearing sirens and a loud boom.

Turkey said on Monday that NATO air defences shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran into Turkish airspace.

Turkey’s foreign minister says diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran is stalled, but he thinks quiet back-channel talks remain possible.

By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay ANKARA, March 13 (Reuters) - NATO air defences in the eastern Mediterranean have shot down a third ballistic missile that was fired from Iran towards Turkey, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Friday,

Turkey's defence ministry on Friday said a ballistic missile from Iran had been shot down in Turkish airspace by NATO forces in the third such incident of the Middle East war. "A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was neutralised by NATO air and missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean,

Under relentless Israeli-US attack, Iran has bombarded US assets in the Gulf, but so far has not touched Turkey which would be a "high-cost strategic gamble" that could go disastrously wrong, analysts said.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Tehran still ‘open to any sensible backchannel diplomacy’, vows to keep Ankara out of the war.

Iranians are using a border crossing into Turkey as one of the only ways out during the war in Iran, with the country's airspace closed.

Turkey's top diplomat said Saturday that Iran was denying responsiblity for firing ballistic missiles towards Turkey despite evidence from technical data. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi after NATO defence systems on Friday shot down another ballistic missile from Iran -- the third in nine days.

The Jordanian FA says the forthcoming four-nation invitational tourney has been rescheduled to be hosted in Turkey.