Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [Reuters Yonhap News]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed response measures to the Iran situation with French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone on the 5th (local time), the Turkish Presidential Office announced.

In the call, President Erdogan stated, "Turkey is closely monitoring the situation in Iran," expressing deep condolences for civilian casualties and concern over the possibility of further deaths.

He also emphasized, "If the conflict in Iran prolongs, it will lead to instability not only in the region but also globally," adding, "Turkey is making all-out efforts to strengthen diplomatic foundations and to bring (the US and Iran) back to the negotiating table."

President Erdogan also suggested, "Considering the conflict situations in the Middle East and the world, strengthening defense cooperation among North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies is essential," and proposed, "We must accelerate joint development in the defense industry sector."

Turkey, a NATO member, has been reacting sensitively to the developments in the Middle East surrounding Iran since a missile fired from Iran was intercepted by NATO's air defense system within its territory.

On the same day, the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff issued a strong denial, stating, "Iran respects Turkey's sovereignty and has never fired any missile towards Turkish territory," in an effort to de-escalate the situation.

In an interview with Reuters, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the missile interception in Turkey would not immediately trigger the collective defense clause of Article 5 of the NATO treaty.