US orders diplomatic, military families out of south Turkey

WASHINGTON: The State Department and Pentagon ordered the families of US diplomats and military personnel Tuesday to leave posts in southern Turkey due to “increased threats from terrorist groups” in the country.
The two agencies said dependents of American staffers at the US consulate in Adana, the Incirlik air base and two other locations must leave. The so-called “ordered departure” notice means the relocation costs will be covered by the government.
In a statement, the military’s European Command said the step “allows for the deliberate, safe return of family members from these areas due to continued security concerns in the region.”
The orders cover the Adana consulate, US military dependents in Incirlik, Ismir and Mugla as well as family of US government civilians at Ismir and Mugla. The State Department also restricted official travel to that which it considers “mission critical.”
The move comes amid heightened security concerns throughout Turkey due to the ongoing fight against Daesh militants in neighboring Syria and Iraq and was accompanied by an updated travel warning advising US citizens of an increased threat of attacks. It also comes as Turkey’s president is set to arrive in Washington to attend President Barack Obama’s nuclear security summit.
“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,” the European Command statement said.
Incirlik is a critical base in the fight by the US-led coalition against the Daesh group, and includes strike aircraft, drones and refueling planes.
Turkey’s decision last year to allow the coalition to conduct airstrikes with aircraft based at Incirlik shortened the time and distance required to conduct airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, compared with strikes flown from bases in the Arabian Gulf area. And it increased the number of US personnel at the base.
It was not immediately clear how many family members would be affected in total. The Pentagon said the order would affect about 680 military family members and roughly 270 pets.