Jason Ditz / AntiWar.com & The Next News Network – 2017-01-05 00:10:51
Pentagon: US Will ‘Offer’ Support to Turkey in North Syria Invasion
Turkish Police Raid US Nuclear Incurlik Air Base
The Next News Network
Pentagon: US Will ‘Offer’ Support to Turkey in North Syria Invasion
Jason Ditz / AntiWar.com
(January 4, 2017) — A day after hyping the idea that having warplanes fly over the ISIS city of al-Bab, but not bombing them, amounted to a “show of force” in support of Turkey, the Pentagon is now hyping that they’re going to “keep supporting” Turkey in al-Bab, and that might include more than just taking a good look at it while they fly by.
Pentagon spokesman Col. John Dorrian claimed talks “at a diplomat level” are ongoing with Turkey and that the US is prepared to “offer” additional support to Turkey, though no such offer has yet been made, and it isn’t clear what that might entail.
Turkey has been invading al-Bab for weeks, with limited success, and last week openly requested “air support” from the US-led coalition against ISIS forces. The only air support that has happened yet was from Russia, who launched airstrikes against ISIS targets outside of al-Bab.
The sudden talk of doing more, which is to say do anything at all, likely reflects the anger among Turkish officials about the lack of support forthcoming, with both Turkey’s Defense Minister and Foreign Minister suggesting they should expel the US from the Incirlik Air Base over the lack of support for fighting ISIS.
7,000 Turkish Forces With Heavy Equipment Surround US Air Base In Turkey
The Next News Network
Turkey Hints at Ousting US from Incirlik Air Base
Jason Ditz / AntiWar.com
(January 4, 2017) — While Pentagon officials yesterday were bragging up their overflights of warplanes over the ISIS city of al-Bab, being attacked by Turkey, as “a show of force” meant to support the Turkish invasion, Turkish officials clearly don’t see it that way, and are even considering expelling the US warplanes from Inciirlik Air Base outright over the lack of actual help.
Defense Minister Fikri Isik warned that there was “serious disappointment” in the US not providing aerial support for the al-Bab offensive, warning it was harming public support and leading to serious questions among Turkish officials over the status of Incirlik.
Pentagon spokesman Col. John Dorrian said a Turkish expulsion of US forces from the base would be “disastrous” for the war, insisting that “the entire world has been made safer” by US warplanes being able to fly out of Incirlik Air Base.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu echoed the concerns, insisting that while the US is “a very important ally,” there is a sense that Turkey should not give them access to the air base if they are not going to support Turkey in fighting against ISIS or the Kurds.
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