POST-COUP

Key U.S. Base in Turkey Shut Down

All air operations halted.

A key U.S. military base in Turkey halted its air operations on Saturday immediately following the coup attempt in the country, the Pentagon said. The move came after the Turkish government closed its airspace to military aircraft, thereby putting the base—which is key to the U.S.-led coalition campaign against ISIS—at a standstill. “In the meantime, U.S. Central Command is adjusting flight operations in the counter-ISIL campaign to minimize any effects on the campaign,” Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said. The base also experienced a loss of commercial power, Cook said, but that is not affecting overall base operations because internal power sources kicked in.