The United States and Turkey "have finalized technical
details for Turkey's full inclusion" in the battle against ISIS in Syria,
Defense Department Spokesman Peter Cook said Tuesday.
The agreement
means Turkey will coordinate with other coalition nations in launching
airstrikes.
Cook said it may
take "a few days" until Turkey begins to conduct airstrikes, but
added, "we believed that Turkey is committed to fully participating as
soon as possible."
Turkish
officials have also confirmed the agreement, according to
semi-official news agency Anadolu.
A few weeks ago, the United States launched manned
airstrikes against ISIS forces
from a base in Turkey, the Pentagon said. That was the first time the United
States had done so from Turkish soil.
The attacks from
Incirlik Air Base were part of an agreement reached last month between NATO
allies Turkey and the United States.
Such access
should shorten flight times for U.S. (and presumably allied) fighter jets --
especially into Syria, where the group calling itself the Islamic State has its
de facto capital, Raqqa -- compared with taking off from bases in Iraq or
aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf.
Turkey launched
a few of its own strikes against ISIS last month, but it's not know if those
flights were coordinated with the coalition.
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