ANKARA — The United States has bolstered air operations in Turkey after several years of tense bilateral relations.
Officials said the U.S. Air Force has sent F-16 multi-role fighters for
training and operations in Turkey. They said the aircraft arrived at the
Incirlik base in southern Turkey on Jan. 11.
The administration intends to improve cooperation with Turkey and Gulf Arab allies as part of an effort to stabilize Iraq by confronting Iran and Syria.
The Turkish news agency Cihan said at least 16 F-16s have arrived in
Incirlik. Cihan said the aircraft arrived from a U.S. base in Germany, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The F-16s have arrived for an exercise with the Turkish Air Force," an
official said.
The official said this was the first time a contingent of U.S. F-16s
landed in Turkey since 2004. They said the F-16s were accompanied by an E-2C
airborne early-warning and control system aircraft as well as KC-10 air fuel
tankers.
President George Bush's plan to deploy another 21,500 U.S. troops in Iraq was combined with an effort to bolster defense and military cooperation with Turkey and Gulf Cooperation Council states. Bush said the cooperation would counter Iranian and Syrian influence in Iraq as well as confront the Kurdish Workers Party, Middle East Newsline reported.
Officials said Turkey and the United States planned to hold a major air
exercise. They said the exercise was part of an effort to bolster military
cooperation between the two countries, reduced in wake of Ankara's
refusal to allow U.S. troops to enter Turkey to join the invasion of Iraq
in 2003.
Turkey has allowed the U.S. Air Force to expand its presence at
Incirlik. The U.S. Defense Department has financed a project to enhance and
expand accommodations for U.S. military personnel at the air force base.
