The one-hour warning provided by Turkey prior to conducting strikes in Syria and Iraq on Tuesday is an insufficient timeframe to clear the area of partnered forces, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson, U.S. Air Force Colonel John Dorrian said in a briefing on Wednesday.
"There was an inadequate amount of time to clear all of our forces away from what is a very significantly-sized area. We did have exact fidelity on where the strikes would occur," Dorrian told a Pentagon teleconference, also noting that US forces were located within six miles of the strikes.
Dorrian said the U.S.-led coalition had "let the Turks know that the amount of time ... was inadequate for us to ensure the safety of our forces on the ground."
"There was less than an hour of notification time before the strikes were conducted," Dorrian said. "That's not enough time and this was notification, certainly, not coordination as you would expect from a partner and an ally in the fight against ISIS."
The United Nations is concerned over the Turkish airstrikes in the Sinjar province in Iraq and urges Turkey and Iraq to hold consultations on all issues of concern, UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday.
"We are concerned over the incident and extend our condolences to the families of the victims," Dujarirric stated.
