Turkey has agreed to let the U.S. military use a key air base near the Syrian border to launch airstrikes against the Islamic State (ISIS), senior U.S. officials said Thursday, giving a boost to the U.S.-led coalition while drawing Turkey deeper into the conflict.
President Barack Obama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finalized the deal in a phone call Wednesday, officials said, following months of U.S. appeals to Turkey and delicate negotiations over the use of Incirlik and other bases in the country.
#Turkey agrees to let US strike #ISIL from Incirlik air base - positive step forward— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) July 23, 2015
Frustrated by Obama's focus on fighting ISIS instead of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Turkey's government had resisted the move, but in recent days a surge of ISIS activity in Turkey has made the militant group an increasing source of concern.
American officials said access to the base in southern Turkey, not far from ISIS strongholds across the border in Syria, would allow the U.S. to move more swiftly and nimbly to attack ISIS targets. Under the deal, the U.S.-led coalition will be allowed to launch manned and unmanned flights from Incirlik; in the past, only unmanned drone flights were allowed.
US to use Incirlik airbase in Turkey to launch strikes on #ISIS; allows flexibility to respond to threats from #Syria -Sr Admin official— margaret brennan (@margbrennan) July 23, 2015
Incirlik Air Base, located in southern Turkey across the border from the Syrian city of Aleppo, is a joint U.S.-Turkish base. The U.S. Air Force's 39th Air Base Wing is based there, and its proximity to ISIS strongholds in Syria makes it a strategically advantageous place from which to attack the militant group. Turkey shares a 1,250-kilometer (775-mile) border with Iraq and Syria.
Located in Yüreğir, Turkey, the base is about 200 miles to the west of the town of Suruç, the site of the most recent attack on Turkish soil that's been blamed on ISIS.
On Thursday, ISIS militants fired from Syrian territory at a Turkish military outpost, killing one Turkish soldier and prompting Turkish retaliation that killed at least one ISIS militant.
Citing operational security, the White House declined to confirm the agreement, but noted that Obama and Erdogan had agreed to "deepen our cooperation" against ISIS in their phone call Wednesday. In an email statement, State Department’s spokesman John Kirby “due to operational security I don’t have further details to share at this time."
In Aspen, Gen John Allen shot down idea of militarily-enforced zone in #Syria & said it wasn't part of Incirlik deal or under discussion— margaret brennan (@margbrennan) July 23, 2015
@margbrennan:Turkey demand for #Syria safezone not part of Incirlik deal; officials say enforcing such zones "present significant challenges— Mary Walsh (@CBSWalsh) July 23, 2015
"Turkey is a critical partner in degrading and defeating ISIS, and we appreciate the essential support Turkey provides to the international coalition across the many lines of effort," said Alistair Baskey, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, using an alternative acronym for the militant group.
Incirlik Air Base, located in southern Turkey across the border from the Syrian city of Aleppo, is a joint U.S.-Turkish base. The U.S. Air Force's 39th Air Base Wing is based there, and its proximity to ISIS strongholds in Syria makes it a strategically advantageous place from which to attack the militant group. Turkey shares a 1,250-kilometer (775-mile) border with Iraq and Syria.
In an apparent nod to Turkey's interests, the White House said Thursday that in addition to agreeing to step up joint efforts on ISIS, Obama and Erdogan had decided to deepen cooperation on "our work to bring about a political settlement to the conflict in Syria."
Additional reporting by Mashable