Turkish, Russian officials downplay reports Russia might operate out of #Incirlik air base
▻https://www.airforcetimes.com/articles/turkish-russian-officials-downplay-reports-russia-might-operate-out-o
Turkish and Russian officials say Russian warplanes will not be sharing a critical hub for air operations in the Middle East with the U.S. Air Force.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim raised the possibility of Russian aircraft using Incirlik air base during a press conference. The U.S. Defense Department and the White House have declined to comment on the reports.
“Incirlik is a Turkish air base and any foreign nation’s operations from there would need to be coordinated with the Turkish government,” Defense Department spokeswoman Laura Seal told Air Force Times in a statement. “We’ll decline to speculate on discussions between Turkey and Russia that may be taking place,” she said. The White House, too, referred questions on the matter to the Turkish government.
Meanwhile, Yury Y. Melnik, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C., said his country isn’t particularly interested in operating out of Turkey.