The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East says he’s concerned the failed coup in Turkey may have longer term effects on the fight against Islamic State militants in the region.
Gen. Joseph Votel tells the Aspen Security Forum that he’s worried the unrest could affect U.S. relations with the Turkish military, noting that some of its leaders have been jailed.
He says military operations out of the air base at Incirlik are back to normal. The U.S.-led coalition uses Incirlik to launch airstrikes, surveillance aircraft and other missions into Syria and Iraq.
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has imposed a three-month state of emergency in the country. More than 13,000 people in the military, judiciary and other institutions have been detained since the July 15 coup attempt.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Turkey will become a Muslim nation governed by Sharia Law. That will upset the balance of power in the middle east and we will lose our airbase there.
Russia wants Turkey badly. Russia and Obama have given tanks and F-16′ to Egypt, which is strategically near Turkey. Egypt needs money & is desperate. Aligning with Russia to complete it’s oil and gas lines will certainly affect the whole of Europe if Turkey falls, say nothing about our 1500 US Military people @ the A.F. base in Incirlik. We need a leader not a ‘destroyer’ in the White House. Remember Benghazi when nothing was done to help our people? Do you want ex Secretary of State Hillary holding the reins in the W.H. ?
All my posts are accurate and non inflammatory, but they go to moderation and never get posted.
The U.S. and Russia are both sending tanks and jet fighter planes to Egypt. Russia wants to take over Turkey with a pincer attack from the East and also from Egypt. Our 1500 Air Force troops will be in trouble @ the air base in Incirlik. Russia will extent it’s gas and oil lines accross theterritory eventuall threatening Europe which is in turmoil with Muslim immigration and also Britain is leaving theEU. There will be no response from either Hillary or Obama, so Trump is our only hope as Russia mimics 1938 Germany and it’s world threat. China is waiting in the wings to help Russia, while the Blacks and Muslims are being used as proxies to further separate the “classes” here in the United States. Destroy from within while building FEMA and preparing for Peacekeepers.