Incirlik Air Base: Post-Coup Power Cut Remains at U.S. Site, 2,700 Personnel Confined

July 21st, 2016

Awake Goy

Incirlik Air Base: Post-Coup Power Cut Remains at U.S. Site, 2,700 Personnel Confined

July 20th, 2016

Via: NBC:

A Turkish air base widely believed to house U.S. nuclear weapons continued to rely on backup generators Wednesday, five days after a failed coup plunged the country into crisis.

Commercial power was cut to Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey and the airspace above it closed within hours of Friday’s attempted military takeover in the NATO country. Turkish commanders at the site were later arrested and led away after they were accused of allowing at least one tanker aircraft to refuel jets involved in the thwarted mutiny.

As the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan deepens its purge of military and civilian officials accused of being involved in the putsch, there were few indications when exactly electricity to Incirlik would be turned back on.

Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that he was confident that power would be restored, and it could happen within a day or so.

No one is locked anywhere on the base, which has about 2,700 Defense Department civilians and military personnel, officials said. But people were not permitted to leave Wednesday for security reasons.

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