Turkey has signaled its readiness to allow U.S. use of
the Incerlik air force base as a hub for American military operations.
The Bush administration has been informed that the government of Prime
Minister Recep Erdogan was ready to agree to an expanded U.S. presence at
Incerlik, officials said. They said Erdogan, who would require parliamentary
approval, would allow the U.S. military to use Incerlik for missions in
Afghanistan and Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported.
"I expect a Turkish government decision on Incirlik very soon," Murat
Mercan, deputy chairman of Turkey's ruling AKP party, said. "I don't know
exactly when, but very soon."
During a panel discussion on Turkey held by the Washington-based
American Enterprise Institute, Mercan did not elaborate. But Turkish
diplomats in Washington confirmed that Ankara has already relayed its
readiness to approve the U.S. plan on Incerlik.
For nearly two years, the United States pressed for expanded use of
Incerlik. Officials said the Defense Department also wanted to expand the
aircraft fleet at Incerlik to about 50.
But under pressure from parliament, the Erdogan government rejected the
U.S. request. Ankara said it would not revise a 1980 agreement that defined
NATO use of Incerlik.
In 2003, the U.S. European Command removed its fighter-jet fleet from
Incerlik, which has been used by the U.S. military for nearly 50 years. The
Turkish refusal to expand U.S. rights at Incerlik has sparked tension
between Washington and Ankara.
