The lack of the U.S.-led coalition’s air support in Turkey’s Euphrates Sheid operation in Syria’s al-Bab makes the mission of İncirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana questionable, Defense Minister Fikri Işık said on Jan. 4.
“We hope that all coalition forces, primarily the U.S., give air and other support that Turkey needs in the Euphrates Shield operation and the necessary step will be taken soon,” Işık told journalists in Ankara.
“In fact, it is thought-provoking that countries we have been together at NATO for years and the coalition established to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) do not support this operation launched by the Free Syrian Army and supported by the Turkish Armed Forces on al-Bab, which is a very critical location in ISIL fight,” he said.
The coalition uses the İncirlik base in its operations on ISIL in Syria.