Turkey Attacks Islamic State, Lets U.S. Use Key Airbase
Admiral Stavridis on Turkey: It’s About Time
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Turkey stepped up its role in the fight against Islamic State, deploying F-16 jets for the first time to strike militants across the Syrian border and allowing a key base to be used for U.S.-led airstrikes.
Three Turkish warplanes attacked militants in Syria around 3 a.m. on Friday, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in Ankara. They took off from the southeastern base of Diyarbakir and operated in Turkish airspace as they could hit their targets without entering Syria, he said. Shortly after the jets returned to their bases, police started an operation in 16 cities across Turkey, rounding up hundreds of suspected militants, including many Kurds.