İncirlik Air Base first destination on US military chief's Turkey visit

U.S. Army Chief Joseph Dunford is visiting Turkey today, making him the first top U.S. official to visit Turkey after the failed coup attempt on July 15, under the disrupted relations between NATO's two largest military powers.

Dunford's visit came a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's harsh criticism of the CENTCOM commander's controversial comment regarding the jailed pro-coup soldiers.

Dunford's visit to Turkey was expected to reconcile and to clarify the turbulence over the U.S.'s position after the coup attempt. But his visit to İncirlik Air Base as the first leg of his visit gave rise to questions as the base is accused of being the headquarters for commanding the coup attempt by the U.S. military.

The U.S. military, along with some other member countries of the U.S.-led anti-Daesh coalition fighting in Syria, have been using İncirlik Air Base for operations as the main strategic military station. Hundreds of U.S. and German soldiers along with fighter jets and surveillance aircraft were stationed at the base.

Immediately after the attempted coup on the night of July 15, Turkish authorities shut down the power supply of all air bases including İncirlik to prevent an air attack by the pro-coup military.

But U.S. military aimed to show the action as an anti-U.S. measure by Turkish authorities, though the air bases resumed normal operation hours after foiling the coup attempt.

Not only for İncirlik but the U.S. military has shown its opposition to government measures against pro-coup military officers.

Hundreds of soldiers including dozens of top generals have been detained over their links to the coup and the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ), led by the U.S.-based so-called cleric Fethullah Gülen.

CENTCOM Chief Gen. Joseph L. Votel stated that Turkey detained the U.S.'s closest allies within the Turkish military.

The statement was strongly condemned by President Erdoğan telling him not to keep out of Turkey's internal affairs.

But the statement unfolded the U.S.'s military links to FETÖ as well as its role in the failed coup attempt in Turkey.

Turkish media outlets have reported several news citing the government and military sources that former U.S. commander of the ISAF, a NATO-led force in Afghanistan, was one of the organizers of the coup attempt.

Moreover, the CIA and FBI had also trained the pro-FETÖ military and civil members in several countries, media reports have said.

Many detained military officials also confessed their links with FETÖ and said the coup attempt was led by Gülen, one of the most wanted terrorists in Turkey.

Ankara has repeatedly called on Washington to extradite Gülen or at least detain him according to Turkey's Supreme Court rulings. But U.S. authorities denied Turkey's demand by creating several extenuating circumstances.