Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, from which a portion of U.S. air strikes against Islamic State militants (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria are launched, is without power following the coup attempt against the Turkish government that launched Friday and was swiftly quashed.
U.S. operations were halted for a time while the coup was in progress but have resumed. The base on Monday was running on backup power to light runways and power command-and-control and air traffic control systems, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters during a press conference on Monday.
“I don’t believe it is a limiting factor right now, but I think it is safe to say over time that it could become a limiting factor,” Cook said of the power outage and continued reliance on backup power sources. “The concern would be if it were a protracted period of time that we would potentially have to make adjustments.”
The Air Force operates attack, aerial refueling and unmanned aircraft out of Incirlik at the invitation of the Turkish government, which controls the base.
“Incirlik, obviously is an important part of our military campaign and we have used it very effectively and we appreciate the Turks’ willingness to allow us to fly operations out of there – the coalition as a whole, it’s not just U.S. aircraft,” Cook said. “It will continue to be an important part of the campaign. We were able to conduct the campaign previously without Incirlik. We have the ability to adjust our operations in such a way that we can account for problems or delays there.”
“There are redundancies,” Cook added. “This is something we do plan for. We will continue to assess the situation. If there comes a time where we decide we need to make other adjustments because we do not see power being restored in a quick enough fashion, then we will adjust accordingly.”
Aside from counter-ISIL operations, the U.S. military has a long-standing presence at the base that includes some of its most sophisticated aircraft and weapons. That includes B61 nuclear bombs. Cook said all airborne U.S. aircraft safely landed once the coup was underway and that all personnel, platforms and weapons are accounted for.
“We have taken all the appropriate steps to maintain the safety and security of our personnel … their families and our facilities,” Cook said. “We continue to take whatever steps we need to try and mitigate any impact that there could be on the campaign itself. The power issue is something that is outside the walls of the base itself.”
The attempted coup, which kicked off Friday evening, U.S. time, and involved more than 3,000 Turkish army troops armed with tanks and fighter aircraft, took Secretary of Defense Ash Carter by surprise, Cook said. Other U.S. intelligence agencies also were blindsided by the failed overthrow of the democratically elected Turkish government, which is both a NATO ally and a member of the anti-ISIL coalition, he said.
“It is fair to say that the attempted coup was a surprise to us, as it was to people in Turkey and elsewhere,” Cook said. The Defense Department has since accounted for all of its facilities, equipment, aircraft, vehicles and 3,000-plus personnel and is satisfied they are safe. Carter also believes the Turkish government and the military still loyal to it have control of the country and bases, Cook said.
“We do not have any indication that the Turkish military does not have control,” he said. “We will continue to work closely with Turkey. This is a NATO ally…This is a member of the ISIL coalition. We look forward to a continued working relationships with the Turks.”
Carter has not spoken directly with his Turkish counterpart. He viewed the situation Friday and has since through the lens of senior U.S. military leaders at both European and Central commands. Carter has been in direct contact with both CENTCOM Chief Army Gen. Joseph Votel and Army Gen. Mike Scaparotti, EUCOM commander and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
The defense chiefs met face-to-face at the recent NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, where they enjoyed an “excellent bi-lateral conversation,” Cook said.
Carter has invited defense ministers from the nations contributing to the counter-ISIL fight in Iraq and Syria to a meeting Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Cook said Turkish officials of some rank or level are expected to attend the meeting.
“The secretary is eager to share information on the status of the campaign and discuss next steps in the military plan and to identify with members of the counter-ISIL coalition which steps we can take to accelerate military progress in that campaign,” Cook said.