Turkey implies US could lose Incirlik Air Base

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) - The United States and the Coalition member countries could lose the use of Turkey's Incirlik Air Base which is vital to the anti-Islamic State (IS) air campaign, implied Turkish Defense Minister on Wednesday.

"The fact that anti-IS coalition countries, our allies at NATO, do not support the operation Turkish Armed Forces-backed Free Syrian Army launched to capture al-Bab, a place most critical, from the IS is truly intriguing," said Minister Fikri Isik in remarks relayed by the state-run Anadolu agency.

"This, in Turkey, raises questions about the Incirlik," added Isik, speaking to reporters in Ankara, in a tone reflecting his government's discontent with the US policy in Syria which has been fixated on a reliance on Kurdish groups Turkey considers "terrorist."

The Turkish Government opened Incirlik in the southern Mediterranean province of Adana to anti-IS operations only in July 2015 after time-consuming negotiations with the US.

"Our expectation from our allies is the provision of, particularly, air support during this operation in every condition. You are saying that you are fighting Daesh, yet are not giving the necessary aid we demand. This, in turn, leads to questioning by the public of your sincerity in fighting Daesh," continued Isik, using an Arabic acronym standing for the IS.

Isik's comments followed a late December rebuke from a spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip who complained of a lack of support in al-Bab, a town 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Turkish border which the US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) too wants to control.

The US initially supported Turkey's Syria incursion dubbed Operation Euphrates Shield from the air when it began in August 2016 with the swift capture of the border town of Jarablus.

On an occasion even the US soldiers embedded to help Turkish-backed FSA were ousted from the nearby town of al-Rai by those very rebels in September.

Later as Turkey started targeting the YPG, the US withdrew its support leaving its NATO ally alone in the now weeks-long, costly fight for al-Bab.

More than 30 Turkish troops have been killed, dozens of tanks lost.

Washington considers YPG as one of the most effective and reliable ground troops fighting the IS.

Instead, a Russia with which Turkey has had dramatic ups and downs in diplomacy launched airstrikes in an apparent support for the Turkish campaign in al-Bab.

There have previously been suggestions of moving Western forces stationed at Incirlik out to a second country in the Middle East.

Editing by Ava Homa