Pentagon: US air base in Turkey not impacted by coup attempt

The Pentagon said Friday that an attempted coup in Turkey has had “no impact” on the joint U.S.-Turkish Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, a key location in operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

{mosads}About 1,500 U.S. troops and personnel are based at Incirilik, a launch point for operations against ISIS.

“As of this time, there has been no impact to Incirlik Air Base and counter-ISIL air operations from Incirlik continue,” a senior defense official said in a statement. 

However, the base has upgraded its level of protection to “Delta,” a defense official confirmed to The Hill. 

The official also added the Pentagon was taking “appropriate steps” to ensure the safety and security of the approximately 2,200 total U.S. troops and personnel in the country. 

“We are monitoring the situation in Turkey closely and are taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of our service members, civilians, their families, and our facilities,” the official said. 

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged for calm in Turkey, which is a member of the 28-nation transatlantic alliance. He did not mention the president of Turkey, President Tayyip Erdogan, whose whereabouts are unknown, although he was reported to have landed in Istanbul.

“I have just spoken to the Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. I am following events in Turkey closely and with concern,” Stoltenberg said. “I call for calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey’s democratic institutions and its constitution. Turkey is a valued NATO Ally.”

The base is about 250 miles south of Ankara, Turkey’s capital, where much of the coup was focused.