Posted on 03/01/2017 7:19:58 AM PST by Texas Fossil
Pro-government Turkish daily Yenisafak, has claimed that Turkey will use the Incirlik Airbase as a bargaining chip to stop the US from backing the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), a prominent force in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) leading the Raqqa operation.
According to Yenisafak, “Turkey is prepared for possible scenarios with the YPG. Considering the logistical contribution to US air operations, the utilisation permit of Incirlik Airbase is an important leverage to convince the US against working with the YPG.”
Incirlik Air base, located in the Incirlik province of the southern city of Adana, has strategic importance to the US. Most of the US’ air operations targeting the IS group have been conducted from Incirlik, with jets flying from the aircraft carrier located in the Mediterranean sea. Fuel delivering air tanks also take off from Incirlik airbase or US jets have to stop at Incirlik Air base for fuel delivery. US F-14 jets taking off from the aircraft carrier have been using Turkish air space to fly Syria and Iraq. If Turkey closes its air space, the US won’t be able to conduct any of its air operations through Turkey.
“If the US insists on operating with the PKK-PYD-YPG [Kurdistan Workers’ Party-Democratic Union Party-People’s Protection Units], American jets won’t be allowed to lift off [from Incirlik],” the Turkish daily reported.
Turkish authorities are still negotiating with the US on what course the Raqqa operation will take. Authorities have been awaiting a response from the US regarding Turkey’s proposal for two separate plans to take Raqqa.
However Turkey’s Defence Minister Fikri Isik, who met with American counterpart James Mattis recently conceded defeat saying, “We talked about this with Mattis, but he told us that they have no other plan other than the current one with the YPG.”
On Monday Turkish president Erdogan threatened that the Turkey-backed FSA would target SDF-held Manbij, a move that has been viewed as a warning to halt the Raqqa operation. “Now that al-Bab has been cleared from Daesh [IS], the YPG terrorist-held Manbij is Turkey’s next target.”
PKK commander Murat Karayilan responded saying Turkey was “bluffing” with claims it would enter Manbij and join the Raqqa operation. Karayilan said Turkey would not be able to enter Manbij or Raqqa without US and Russian approval.
Ankara has declared several times that it is ready to share expertise with the US in tackling IS and becoming an ally on the ground, if the US respects Turkey’s ‘sensitivities’ about the PKK/PYD/YPG. Otherwise, Turkey will not let the US use Incirlik Airbase, Yenisafak reported.
The US reaction in case of a ban is unknown. Yet it will likely throw relations between the NATO allies into disarray. The US has denied supporting Kurdish forces in Syria saying it is only supporting the Arab coalition within the SDF.
US President Donald Trump is expected to reveal detailed plans for the capture of Raqqa in the coming days.
Tuck Furkey.
I would have B-52s bomb the runways and kick them out of NATO once and for all if they want to screw around woth us.
We should destroy the bunkers with the nuclear bomb components we have there as well.
They are outdated now as delivery systems.
After all Turkey has done starting with not allowing us to transit during Operation Iraqi Freedom, why are we still at Incirlik? Inertia?
Components are gone. Have been long time.
YES.
And we made it extremely clear last week that we are supporting the Kurds totally. Not just the Arabs in SDF.
There is one already in Western Syria. Not sure of what scale and length of runway, but saw a photo of a plane inside a hanger weeks ago. (was a fighter)
Good to know-thanks.
How about we close it with a 5 megaton bang.
Best bet might be to allow the Kurds to carve out a territory between Turkey and Syria/Iraq, with sea access, and make them our new friends in the area.
Thank you very much for that explanation. My friends in Syria are impressed with their accuracy. Have been told that before. I did not know the details.
I had discussion yesterday about an article, source I found was in Turkish. Had friend there look at it to be sure machine translation did not mess up the intent. It was noticed that on the Turkish side the article was quite different than on the English side.
Absolutely.
That is incorrect. They did not admit to allowing us to use the base, but I was there during Desert Storm and it was a happening place.
OK, thanks for correction. Guess the denial was later events.
That must be a general 3rd world rule- what’s yours is ours, whats ours is ours
At the end of the war in SEA I spent the last 6 months of the US deployment in Thailand, 2 different bases
Our sole mission was to stay at the bases and pull 24 hour 7 day shifts so the bases wouldn’t be totally stripped before they were turned over
The Thai military had done an “inventory” you see, and anything that was missing on the day we turned over the bases (like power generating equipment)- had to be replaced.
One building lost a massive HVAC unit before this all- night duty was implemented
The “inventory” team, we assumed, was doing a shopping trip to see what they could steal before we left
There was s legendary story about a base in the Philippines where the Filipinos drove a fire truck off the base with sirens blaring and lights flashing- never to be seen again
I hope we moved those strategic nukes out of there.
I remember that fire-truck story. I always wondered how they wrote up the loss...that would have been a classic ‘report of survey’.
I think you are right it is time to call Turkey’s bluff. They are increasingly hostile to western culture and democracy and falling back into a 7th century mentality. Kick them out of NATO and tell them you are on your own boys, see how it works out for you.
The denial was overflight for another crisis - but I do not recall what it was. Afghanistan?
Long ago.
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