ABC News: Turkish Government Cuts Power, Closes Airspace at Incirlik Air Base
The Turkish government has cut the power at Turkey’s Incirlik air base and closed the airspace around the site just hours after a foiled military coup attempt, a U.S. official told ABC News today.
Turkey allows the United States to use the air base for operations associated with its air campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
A Pentagon spokesman said the loss of commercial power to Incirlik has not affected operations because the U.S. facilities there are operating on internal power sources. U.S. officials are working with their Turkish counterparts to resume air operations at the air base. All U.S. government personnel in Turkey appear safe and secure, he added.
“Turkish government has closed its airspace to military aircraft, and as a result air operations at Incirlik Air Base have been halted at this time,” Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told ABC News. “In the meantime, U.S. Central Command is adjusting flight operations in the counter-ISIL campaign to minimize any effects on the campaign.”
A faction of the Turkish military took over state TV, imposed martial law and a curfew and attacked the police headquarters in the capital of Ankara on Friday night. The Turkish government declared the attempted military coup over Saturday morning.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said 161 people were killed in the overnight coup attempt and 1,440 people were injured.
WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) – The United States is working with Turkish officials to resume air operations at Incirlik Air Base “as soon as possible” after the Turkish government closed its airspace to military aircraft after a coup attempt, the Pentagon said on Saturday.
“In the meantime, U.S. Central Command is adjusting flight operations in the counter-ISIL campaign to minimize any effects on the campaign,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.
“U.S. facilities at Incirlik are operating on internal power sources and a loss of commercial power to the base has not affected base operations,” he said.
