Turkey to let U.S.-led coalition use its bases, territory to fight ISIS
IZMIR, Turkey – Turkey has agreed to allow the use of its military bases for operations against Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq by U.S.-led coalition forces and for Syrian opposition fighters to be trained on its soil, a senior U.S. official said.
The move appeared to end a standoff between the NATO allies after weeks of diplomatic hand-wringing by Washington as it sought to get a reluctant Ankara to take a more active role in the fight against ISIS. It also follows a visit last week to Turkey by U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, retired General John Allen, where the issue was discussed.
Agreement came ahead of an important joint planning session of the US Central Command and European Command that Turkey will host next week. The session could discuss how to reinforce the coalition fight against ISIS.
The Pentagon said on Sunday night that Chuck Hagel, the US Defense Secretary, had spoken on the telephone with his Turkish counterpart, Yilmaz. They focused on the regional threat posed by ISIS and the security situation in both Iraq and Syria.
Hagel thanked Turkey for its willingness to contribute to coalition efforts, including hosting and conducting training for Syrian opposition members.
Earlier, Susan Rice, President Obama's national security adviser, said on NBC's Meet the Press, “The Turks have...made a commitment that they will in the first instance allow the United States and our partners to use Turkish bases and territory to train … moderate Syrian opposition forces,”
“In addition, they have said that their facilities inside of Turkey can be used by the coalition forces, American and otherwise, to engage in activities inside of Iraq and Syria. That's the new commitment, and one that we very much welcome,” she said.
Turkish officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Turkey shares a 1,200 km border with Syria and Iraq and opening its air bases would significantly ease pressure on coalition aircraft which have been carrying out air strikes on ISIS in the north of both countries. It was not immediately clear whether Turkey's decision would include use of Incirlik, a key joint U.S.-Turkish air base located outside the city of Adana, some 150 km from the Syrian border.
Ankara has come under increasing pressure to take a more robust stance in the fight against ISIS, particularly after the militants laid siege to the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane, which sits hard on Turkey's border and after other Muslim nations joined the coalition.
Turkey wants the coalition to establish a safe haven and a no-fly zone in northern Syria and for air strikes to be extended to Syrian government targets before it commits its own troops to fighting ISIS. Ankara views Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the ultimate orchestrator of unrest in Syria and sees his removal as crucial to defeating ISIS. It also wants allies to train Syrian opposition fighters.
However, Washington has shown little interest in a no-fly zone and while it has called for Assad to step down, it no longer sees his removal as a top priority following the rise of Islamist extremists in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
Turkey's parliament had already voted earlier this month to extend a mandate that would allow its troops to carry out cross-border operations in Syria and Iraq, including against ISIS, and to allow its bases to be used by coalition forces. However, analysts had said it was not clear from the document whether Ankara would allow bases to be used only for logistical and humanitarian purposes or extend to offensive operations.
Turkey's decision could cause a domestic backlash among religiously conservative and nationalist sections of the population where anti-American sentiment runs high. Turkey refused to allow the use of its Incirlik base and territory in 2003 for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq after strong national opposition to the war.
The move appeared to end a standoff between the NATO allies after weeks of diplomatic hand-wringing by Washington as it sought to get a reluctant Ankara to take a more active role in the fight against ISIS. It also follows a visit last week to Turkey by U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, retired General John Allen, where the issue was discussed.
Agreement came ahead of an important joint planning session of the US Central Command and European Command that Turkey will host next week. The session could discuss how to reinforce the coalition fight against ISIS.
The Pentagon said on Sunday night that Chuck Hagel, the US Defense Secretary, had spoken on the telephone with his Turkish counterpart, Yilmaz. They focused on the regional threat posed by ISIS and the security situation in both Iraq and Syria.
Hagel thanked Turkey for its willingness to contribute to coalition efforts, including hosting and conducting training for Syrian opposition members.
Earlier, Susan Rice, President Obama's national security adviser, said on NBC's Meet the Press, “The Turks have...made a commitment that they will in the first instance allow the United States and our partners to use Turkish bases and territory to train … moderate Syrian opposition forces,”
“In addition, they have said that their facilities inside of Turkey can be used by the coalition forces, American and otherwise, to engage in activities inside of Iraq and Syria. That's the new commitment, and one that we very much welcome,” she said.
Turkish officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Turkey shares a 1,200 km border with Syria and Iraq and opening its air bases would significantly ease pressure on coalition aircraft which have been carrying out air strikes on ISIS in the north of both countries. It was not immediately clear whether Turkey's decision would include use of Incirlik, a key joint U.S.-Turkish air base located outside the city of Adana, some 150 km from the Syrian border.
Ankara has come under increasing pressure to take a more robust stance in the fight against ISIS, particularly after the militants laid siege to the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane, which sits hard on Turkey's border and after other Muslim nations joined the coalition.
Turkey wants the coalition to establish a safe haven and a no-fly zone in northern Syria and for air strikes to be extended to Syrian government targets before it commits its own troops to fighting ISIS. Ankara views Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the ultimate orchestrator of unrest in Syria and sees his removal as crucial to defeating ISIS. It also wants allies to train Syrian opposition fighters.
However, Washington has shown little interest in a no-fly zone and while it has called for Assad to step down, it no longer sees his removal as a top priority following the rise of Islamist extremists in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
Turkey's parliament had already voted earlier this month to extend a mandate that would allow its troops to carry out cross-border operations in Syria and Iraq, including against ISIS, and to allow its bases to be used by coalition forces. However, analysts had said it was not clear from the document whether Ankara would allow bases to be used only for logistical and humanitarian purposes or extend to offensive operations.
Turkey's decision could cause a domestic backlash among religiously conservative and nationalist sections of the population where anti-American sentiment runs high. Turkey refused to allow the use of its Incirlik base and territory in 2003 for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq after strong national opposition to the war.