Turkey coup 'has no impact'

A coup attempt in Turkey is not affecting operations targeting the Islamic State, and American forces will continue flying missions from a key air base there, a US defense official said Friday.

Turkey, a key NATO ally for the United States, has allowed the US to launch attacks for the past year against Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria from Incirlik Air Base.

The air base is strategically located close to the border and has provided a big advantage for the US military, which previously flew such missions from further away out of the Gulf.

The situation in Turkey "has no impact on counter-ISIL operations from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We are still flying missions from Incirlik Air Base."

At the base, the United States has deployed drones, a dozen A-10 Warthog fighter jets, which are especially well adapted at providing close air support, a squadron of Prowler electronic warfare aircraft, as well as supply aircraft, according to the Pentagon.

About 2,200 US troops and civilian personnel are deployed in Turkey, including 1,500 at Incirlik.

A Congressional Research Service report in March found that Turkey is among five NATO member countries where the United States has stocked tactical nuclear bombs.

Soldiers took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed the putschists would pay a "very heavy price."

Jets screeched low overhead in the capital, while citizens rushed for the safety of their homes.

State broadcaster TRT said the military had declared martial law and a curfew, in a statement signed by a group calling itself the "Council for Peace in the Homeland."

Source: AFP