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.
I do not think that Trump is impressed with bullies. Erdogan is totally off the rails with his actions since the "coup" (real or fau).
Any opinions on where this goes?
Note: I do not believe this statement is true.
"The US has denied supporting Kurdish forces in Syria saying it is only supporting the Arab coalition within the SDF."
I think you would be shocked at the number of idiots in DC and the Pentagon who are hyped to keep Incirlik at all cost. Having seen all of the games played on base...it’s absolutely worthless in retaining it. It’s imaginary value in keeping the installation open...it won’t be used when you need it the most.
Go ask them about the Incirlik barracks that was newly constructed and sat there for at least six years before it could be fixed enough to utilize. I doubt if they got more than decade of use out of it before it had to be torn down.
Whoever made that statement lied
The “SDF” is largely a Kurdish army with some Arab militia thrown in to give it a more Syrian flavor
Dealing with Turkey will be one of Trump’s more delicate messes to clean up but with the team of people he has working for him, it will get done. They are part of the entire strategy to defeating ISIS, whether they work with us or against us
PS: I don’t see Erdogan playing the “US vs the Russians” card like he did in the past, with the new 4-D chess playing sheriff in the WH. I think the Saudis appreciate that the game has changed, soon Erdogan must do the same
Nuke Turkey. Should have been done long ago.
I know a retired pilot who operated out of Incirlik, he said basically what you just stated.
I had asked him about the bomb storage there, worrying about the security? He said it they have been gone a very long time. Others here agreed with that.
Erdogan is totally insane. He believes his own lies.
No problem... we can build a base in the YPG region.
OK, lets piss Erdogan off, build a base or bases in Arbil or Kirkuk. We could have a couple of bases in operation within weeks. I don’t think the Kurds would mind having us as guests.
I suppose there is an air base in Israel the U.S. could use.
FOB “Rojava”
Since 1962 Turkey has threatened to kick us out of Incirlik AB over 4000 times. lol ! I was stationed there as a member of the Tactical Air Command (TAC) and can assure you that this piss-ant base could be replaced by increasing some Navy assets in the Med. Sea and building a strip or two in Kurdish territory. Frankly, Turkey has been given billions in aid over the years and is now a complete mess given the rise of Islamic terrorism.
The bombs are there. Alls we need is some detonation.
One of the more amusing stories I can tell:
During Northern Watch...the Brits, French and Americans utilized the base. The French came one day to decide “enough” and were going to leave. They had brought around thirty of these small Renault-trucks as part of their support apparatus. They had no interest in keeping the trucks (I’d say they were all 3-to-4 years old and with low mileage, but prone to break-downs).
So the Brits got with the French and made a deal. Far as I know....no money exchanged hands...just that on morning after the French left...a French officer would hand the keys to the trucks over to the Brits, and the trucks were all in a locked compound. Simple deal.
So the morning arrives. The Brit officer shows up and the French officer, but the gate is wide-open and the trucks gone. Then they notice a Turkish Army private driving by in one of the trucks. They end up going to investigate and conclude that the Turks have this unwritten rule...whatever is abandoned on Incirlik....is their property, end of the story.
The trucks were now Turk property.
If you notice, no permanently based aircraft have ever been taken into Incirlik. Everything comes and goes. The Americans know the rule by heart.
Whichever idiot Air Force officer gets stuck with closing Incirlik is looking at a massive amount of stress. Everything will be grabbed at various stages and it’ll impossible to announce this closure without it happening within forty-eight hours....forget about some six-month schedule. They might as well truck everyone to the nearest sea-port and board some cargo vessels to leave.
Incirlik Airbase, Turkey has the history of being an American base established at a time of ‘fencing in’ the Soviet threat.
It was also a base where American forces assigned units of first-generation cruise missiles (the size of small jets) which came to be known, during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Today, there is no threat of Soviet expansion.
Therefore, it would be a cost-saving measure to remove all American military personnel from Incirlik, and allow the Turks the entire base, with one caveat.
Leave it in the same condition we left airbases in France, when DeGaulle demanded we leave his country, i.e., cratered the runways, and demolished the buildings.
Turkey, and Erdogan, have hookah-related dreams of revitalizing the old pre-Attaturk Ottoman Empire.
Was deployed there while in the Marine Corps a couple of times. Horrible for an Air force expeditionary Airbase, great for the Marines though. Couldn’t trust the Turks to protect us so we bought shotguns off base and kept them in our tents (Turks wouldn’t allow Marines to bring weapons into the country). Air force made us put them in the Armory at least once every 24 hrs. So we would turn them in and get back in line to check them out, that lasted about three days then they said we could keep our weapons. Good shotguns (Hugla ), lousy ammo. Found one guy who would sell us Israeli ammo, hypocrites
Go build an airstrip in the free part of northern Iraq. Let the Turks be Turks. Dissolve NATO; it’s become as useful as the UN Peacekeepers.
I bet that Trump could convince Assad to give US access to an air base in Syria.
That would certainly miff tErdogan. :-)
Just a quick comment from Trump to their guy: Close Incirlik and we will support a homeland for our friends the Kurds. Now, next idea please.
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Yep I had my own shotgun and found the dove hunting to be a hell of a kick. The Turks would fetch your downed birds in exchange for a tasty treat or two. We had some decent dove-ke-bob recipes.
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