WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defence announced on Sunday that Turkey has reopened its air base for military flights, enabling the United States to resume its air strikes against IS targets in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.
After Friday’s failed coup attempt, the Turkish government had stopped all flights into and out of Incirlik air base, which hosts more than 1,000 US military personnel and equipment. US and coalition aircraft also fly missions against the IS from this base.
“After close coordination with our Turkish allies, they have reopened their airspace to military aircraft,” Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement released by his office. “As a result, counter-ISIL coalition air operations at all air bases in Turkey have resumed.”
Cook said that US facilities at Incirlik were still operating on internal power sources, but they hoped to restore commercial power soon. “Base operations have not been affected,” he added.
Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2016
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