Some 123 US soldiers arrived in Turkey as part of a program to train and equip the putatively moderate Syrian opposition, along with weapons that are being transferred to İncirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana, Hurriyet reported.

Eighty-three of the US soldiers have been deployed at incirlik Air Base, while 40 of them have been transferred to the Hirfanlı base in the Central Anatolian province of Kırsehir.

A special group of US personnel at incirlik has been tasked with equipping Syrians. The program, agreed by Ankara and Washington in February, was delayed twice due to disagreements between Turkey and the US on whom to train.