This actually makes a lot of sense because ISIS is being defeated in city after city in Syria and Iraq so ISIS soldiers are going home a lot now. So, those who want revenge on the U.S. might attack American families there now in Turkey because Turkey is a Sunni Muslim Country and ISIS is Sunni Muslim as well. So, I think this is a good idea too to send American families home. I didn't know they were there in the first place.
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Pentagon orders military families out of Turkey
The
State Department is also ordering the departure of family members of
staff at the U.S. consulate in Adana, except for family members who also
work at the diplomatic post. "The safety and security of U.S. citizens
living abroad are top priorities, and we take very seriously the
responsibility for ensuring the security of members of the entire
official American community," a State Department spokesman said. "In
close coordination with the Department of Defense, we will continue to
evaluate our security posture in Turkey and worldwide." In addition, the
State Department re-issued its travel warning for Turkey, stating that,
"The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of increased threats
CNN
Pentagon orders military families out of Turkey due to ISIS threat
Turkey's year of turmoil 02:13
Story highlights
- About 670 family members remain at facilities in Incirlik, Izmir and Mugla
- The base is the permanent home to units of the Turkish Air Force and the U.S. Air Force's 39th Air Base Wing
Washington (CNN)The
U.S. military has ordered military family members to evacuate southern
Turkey, primarily from Incirlik Air Base, due to security concerns, the
Pentagon said Tuesday.
Family members will also be evacuated from facilities in Izmir and Mugla, according to a Pentagon statement.
"The
decision to move our families and civilians was made in consultation
with the Government of Turkey, our State Department, and our Secretary
of Defense," Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, commander of U.S. European
Command, said in the statement.
A
U.S. defense official told CNN that the base had been placed under Force
Protection Condition Delta for weeks, the highest level of force
protection for U.S. military bases. Delta level means that either a
terrorist attack has just taken place in the immediate vicinity or
"intelligence has been received that terrorist action against a specific
location or person is imminent," according to military guidelines.
A U.S. official said the evacuation decision was made because of the ongoing threats concerning possible ISIS attacks.
The
State Department is also ordering the departure of family members of
staff at the U.S. consulate in Adana, except for family members who also
work at the diplomatic post.
"The
safety and security of U.S. citizens living abroad are top priorities,
and we take very seriously the responsibility for ensuring the security
of members of the entire official American community," a State
Department spokesman said. "In close coordination with the Department of
Defense, we will continue to evaluate our security posture in Turkey
and worldwide."
In addition, the
State Department re-issued its travel warning for Turkey, stating that,
"The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of increased threats
from terrorist groups throughout Turkey and to avoid travel to
southeastern Turkey."
The State Department has also now restricted official travel by staff in Turkey to "mission-critical" movement only.
State
Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday afternoon that the
decision to order dependents out of Adana was not related to a specific
threat but rather a "running analysis of the security threat" in the
area over the last several weeks.
He did not specify the number of family members leaving but said it was a "small number."
Secretary of State John Kerry informed his Turkish counterpart of the step during their meeting Monday.
Kirby
disputed the notion that the decision was deliberately announced while
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was visiting for the Nuclear
Security Summit in Washington.
He
said the process was carried out "with deep consideration and careful
thought" given the threat level, and the measure was taken with
significant interagency communication.
"This is not the kind of decision we take lightly," Kirby said.
Four killed in suicide bombing 02:00
Nearly
100 people have been killed in Turkey in five separate terrorist
attacks since the start of 2016. Two of these attacks were attributed to
ISIS while the others were carried out by Kurdish separatists.
About 670 U.S. family members remain at facilities in Incirlik, Izmir and Mugla, according to the official.
The
same official said the military had already closed the base's
Department of Defense School for children for weeks, with assignments
being sent to children at home.
"We
understand this is disruptive to our military families, but we must
keep them safe and ensure the combat effectiveness of our forces to
support our strong ally Turkey in the fight against terrorism,"
Breedlove said.
In addition, 287 pets from military families are also leaving Turkey.
In
September, the State Department and Pentagon authorized the voluntary
departure of the 900 family members of personnel stationed at Incirlik
and at the U.S. consulate in Adana, Turkey.
At the time, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the move was done "out of an abundance of caution."
That
decision did not apply to family members of military or civilian
personnel in other cities, including Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir.
The
base is the permanent home to units of the Turkish Air Force and the
U.S. Air Force's 39th Air Base Wing, which includes about 1,500 American
service personnel, according to the base's website.
After
months of negotiations, the U.S. military population grew significantly
after Turkey agreed to open up the base to U.S. war planes
participating in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Incirlik is strategically vital to the counter-ISIS campaign, as it's located about 100 miles from the Syrian border.
The
U.S. began using Incirlik during the 1950s, and its proximity to the
Soviet Union made it a key installation during the Cold War.
The base has supported numerous U.S. operations in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan over its long history.
Turkey,
for its part, has seen plenty of violent spillover from neighboring
Iraq and Syria, where ISIS has employed terrorist and other tactics
against civilians and military foes alike.
Bloodshed in southern Turkey blamed on ISIS includes a suicide bombing last July in Suruc that killed more than 30 people.
The
Islamist extremist group has also shown a willingness to strike in some
of Turkey's biggest cities -- like a suicide blast earlier this month
in a busy tourist area in central Istanbul.
Yet ISIS isn't the only group behind recent terror in Turkey.
On
March 13, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, or TAK -- a militant offshoot
of the Kurdish separatist group, PKK -- boasted of its part in a car
bombing that ripped through a busy square in Ankara, killing 37 people.
Turkey and the United States consider both the TAK and PAK terrorist
organizations.
The attack took place a month after the same group claimed another deadly bombing in the Turkish capital and threatened more violence -- warning foreigners, especially, to stay away from Turkey.
"Tourism
is one of the important sources feeding the dirty and special war, so
it is a major target we aim to destroy," the TAK said then.
A
ceasefire between the PKK and Turkey fell apart last summer. That was
followed by Turkish forces' bombing of the terror group's positions in
northern Iraq while also imposing curfews in crackdowns on heavily
Kurdish areas in southeastern Turkey.
There have been many more such actions in southern Turkey in more recent months, especially on the heels of terrorist attacks.
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