Authorities have a message for U.S. civilians in southern Turkey: Get out now.
The State Department and Pentagon have ordered the families of U.S. diplomats and military personnel Tuesday to leave posts in southern Turkey due to “increased threats from terrorist groups” in the country.
The two agencies said dependents of American staffers at the U.S. consulate in Adana, the Incirlik air base and two other locations must leave right away. The so-called “ordered departure” notice means the relocation costs will be covered by the government.
Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the order was made “out of an abundance of caution” for the safety of the families in that region. He said that relocation efforts “will move very quickly.”
The evacuation orders come among warnings that an ISIS terror attack in southern Turkey could be days away. There has been speculation that Jewish students or schools could be especially targeted.
The orders cover the Adana consulate, U.S. military dependents in Incirlik, Ismir and Mugla as well as family of U.S. government civilians at Ismir and Mugla. The State Department also restricted official travel to that which it considers “mission critical.” Cook said that the order does not affect about 100 family members who are based in Istanbul and Ankara.
The move comes amid heightened security concerns throughout Turkey due to the ongoing fight against Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria and Iraq and was accompanied by an updated travel warning advising U.S. citizens of an increased threat of attacks. It also comes as Turkey’s president is set to arrive in Washington to attend President Barack Obama’s nuclear security summit.
“We understand this is disruptive to our military families, but we must keep them safe and ensure the combat effectiveness of our forces to support our strong ally Turkey in the fight against terrorism,” the European Command statement said.
Incirlik is a critical base in the fight by the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, and includes strike aircraft, drones and refueling planes.
Turkey’s decision last year to allow the coalition to conduct airstrikes with aircraft based at Incirlik shortened the time and distance required to conduct airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, compared with strikes flown from bases in the Persian Gulf area. And it increased the number of U.S. personnel at the base.
NATO’s Allied Land Command is based at Ismir and there is a Turkish base at Mugla where some U.S. military personnel go for training and other missions.
It was not immediately clear how many family members would be affected in total. The Pentagon said the order would affect about 680 military family members and roughly 270 pets. The State Department and Pentagon had begun a voluntary drawdown of staff at the two posts last September after Turkey announced it would take a greater role in the fight against Islamic State militants.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Let’s see. Our citizens are being asked to leave Turkey for their own protection against terrorist threats and OUR PRESIDENT and his cronies want to bring thousands of these people to OUR country. It is insane! Look at what is happening in Sweden (women and girls are told to stay indoors at night to avoid being attacked and raped by men from the Middle East), Germany (women being gang raped by Middle Eastern men), Bombings in Brussels and Paris. I saw a video of a group of muslims who have taken over a section of town in England and have told residents they will take over the country in another generation, claiming it is THEIR country. “We will have many babies and make this OUR country…if you don’t like it, leave!” It is happening all over Europe in their “no go” sections of town where they have congregated. Beware, America!!
It is coming here folks and our President is welcoming it. And, to explain why he cannot say “radical Islams or radical muslims”, if he is indeed a muslim himself, and he says anything against the muslim faith, he would be considered an Apostate and would be killed, according to their Quran. Nice religion, huh!
BTW, if Islam is a “peaceful” religion, why is it that they are the ONLY religious group that is killing people who have different beliefs? There are no Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, or Jewish people going around decapitating people, drowning them in cages, setting them on fire. We had better WAKE UP – these invaders are coming here and some are already here.
I’m on the Jihad Watch forum and it helps me learn everything there is to know about Islam. It’s a great website. You’re probably getting their emails already, but just wanted to share!
Oh, noooow they are worried about our diplomats! About fricking damn time!
I was blocked! I had a good comment but I can’t post it. Maybe because it was against the Turks!
Why would Baracky the Stupid LIAR and Confused DUFUS want to call Americans back from Turkey…..In his words ” THERE IS NO RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORIST GROUPS WANTING TO KILL AMERICANS” Just because they Decapitate some yelling ALLAH AKBAR … all it does is Interfere with his Golf game!!!
Or his Tango sessions!
Or his baseball games!
Better no President at all for the next 8 months. GET HIM OUT!
They are not safe any where over seas or here.. and after all, it will harm they tourism businesses … LOL
I think Spindly Legs Obama just wants all together so that he doesn’t have to go looking for us all over the planet when his Islamic brothers in Turkey and Iran send their nukes to blow our asses up!
We need to get out from the middle east, Under the political correct rules of engagement we can not win anywhere,
As trump said, Why are we paying trillions to fight other peoples wars, then they the very same people we are saving rob us and stab us in the back? Any American arabs muslims that want to fight let them go with a one way passport along with all there welfare wives and kids. otherwise we will end up like the crying liberals of Europe that are now taking Trumps advice.
i found a website not long ago where proof was obtained that the D’OweBama administration was flying in over ten thousand Muslims per month to out-of-the-way airports in converted UPS planes, and has been averaging that amount for the entirety of the Current Occupant’s reign; for the mathematically challenged, that number is well in excess of 3/4’s of a million, by now.
Here’s one place i found the info; some googling is likely to turn up others.
thelastgreatstand.com/2016/01/01/confirmed-obama-smuggling-in-up-to-100000-refugees-per-year-on-ups-planes/
As you’ll see from reading the article, these Muslims are quickly loaded aboard Homeland Security busses, then whisked away to unknown destinations.
Here’s my guess as to “why.”
D’OweBama has already fired more generals and admirals than ANY PRESIDENT IN HISTORY, and given the most transparently bullshit reasons for doing so to Idiot Americans for public consumption – which seems to have fooled most of the people most of the time. He’s also refused to approve advancement for a large number of officers, as well – but by now, he’s pretty-much certain that no honorable man or woman in the US military is going to obey any Unconstitutional orders. So, he’s importing and training his OWN army of Muslim fanatics, currently being hidden away at any number of DUMB locations or FEMA camps and etc., awaiting a Signal from the Betrayer/Traitor-in-Chief to sally forth and murder.
But i have perhaps a TOO-simplistic solution to the Muslim problem. Propose and pass a law which forbids Muslims to practice Sha’ria, teach Sha’ria, or to IMPOSE Sha’ria law on ANYONE in America, on pain of immediate deportation to the nearest country which DOES practice Sha’ria.
If Europe does this, their problems will greatly diminish if not evaporate completely, like a nightmare does upon awaking. Oh, there will BE riots and calls for “jihad” and blah-blah-blah, even a few deaths – but better a few now than complete subjugation later. If Americans do this, hoo-fucking-ray, and buh-bye to all those who seek to supplant American law with Muslim law.
i read, for example, that Somali Muslims settled in and around Minneapolis – the taxi drivers, at any rate – are refusing to carry passengers that have alcohol or reek of it; who are carrying any kind of pork products; who have dogs as pets or guide animals, and etc.
Apparently, Minnesotans are putting up with this crap! i say, if you’re in the business of providing public transportation, you canNOT discriminate as to which passengers you’ll take – or you lose your job. No exceptions. Under the law proposed above, doing this would result in the problem being immediately deported, perhaps even his bank assets seized to pay for his “travel expenses,” too.
They are making clergy marry people regardless of their religious convictions but in all honesty, I would not want to be driven by someone who did not want me in the car.
Guess people need to start telling dispatch if they need a ride because they are drunk or blind and let these drivers sit on their thumbs.