ANKARA, March 7 (Reuters) - Turkey is considering the deployment of F-16 aircraft to Cyprus, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Saturday. The person said such a move was one of the steps being considered amid the phased planning underway to ensure the security of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north of the island,

A Turkish source said that MIT, which has played a key role in helping the new government to establish itself, appealed to MI6 for more support after one such incident last month.

The ballistic missile was shot down by NATO forces before it reached Turkish territory. Turkey’s defense ministry said the missile was detected to have been launched from Iran.

Ankara said NATO defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran that was heading toward Turkish airspace, as Turkish officials called for restraint amid rising regional tensions.

Turkey said on Thursday that it was closely following the actions of the Iranian Kurdish PJAK militant group, which it said threatened Iran's security and regional

According to data provided by the minister, some 5,010 people entered Turkey between March 1 and 3, while 5,495 people exited.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey and Greece can solve their Aegean and eastern Mediterranean disputes through good faith and dialogue.

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s foreign minister advised Saturday against efforts to cause a civil war inside Iran, while warning Tehran after Nato intercepted a Turkey-bound ballistic missile launched from Iran this week.