Turkey’s allowing the US-led coalition against the Islamic State to use its air base in İncirlik has been vital for coalition operations, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. John Dorrian said on Wednesday.
"The entire world has been safer by the operations that have been conducted there, so it is a very important base to the coalition. There has been a lot of discussion at very high levels. I think everyone has an interest in the defeat of Daesh [the Islamic State]," Dorrian told reporters.
Dorrian explained the coalition relies on Incirlik for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance efforts and conducts airstrikes against the Islamic State terror group from the base.
Ankara complained about a lack of aerial support from the U.S.-led coalition for its operation to capture al-Bab from the IS.
The United States is in talks with Turkey about the future support the U.S. military will provide Turkish forces around al-Bab, Syria, Dorrian said on Wednesday, adding that he expected the assistance to continue.
The Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Wednesday quoted Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoglu as saying, "Our people ask, 'why are they using the Incirlik Airbase? What purpose are you serving if you do not provide aerial support against DAESH [the Islamic State] in the most sensitive operation for us?'"
Last week, coalition jets flew near Al Bab in support of Turkey but did not conduct airstrikes. US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said Tuesday the flights were intended as a show of force.
