Airmen, aircraft set up in Turkey to support recovery ops in Syria, Iraq

By Airman 1st Class Cory W. Bush, 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published October 05, 2015

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (AFNS) -- U.S. Air Forces Central Command has begun staging small detachments of aircraft and airmen at Diyarbakir Air Base in southeast Turkey to enhance coalition capabilities to support personnel recovery operations in Syria and Iraq.

Diyarbakir is a Turkish base home to the Turkish air force's 8th Air Wing. Turkey and the U.S. are longtime NATO allies and the U.S. Air Force has a long history of working alongside its Turkish counterparts. This deployment will enable Airmen to better assist with recovery of coalition partners should they need assistance in Syria or Iraq.

"We will be guests of the government of Turkey at Diyarbakir Air Base; there are no plans for a permanent U.S. presence at this location," said Gen. Phillip Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander and the U.S. European Command commander. "This marks yet another successful cooperative effort between the Turkish and U.S. militaries."