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.
