Fri Feb 26, 2016 17:15:12
Saudi Arabian warplanes arrived at Turkey's İncirlik base on Friday to take part in aerial missions against the ISIL in Syria, according to turkey’s officials.
Presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın said at a news conference in Ankara that the Saudi military aircrafts have begun arriving at İncirlik but did not provide details as to how many aircraft have arrived so far, todays zaman reports.
Private Doğan news agency said four warplanes arrived at the base.
The Saudi deployment comes as a US and Russia-engineered cease-fire in Syria is due to take effect at midnight on Friday. The truce agreement, however, does not cover ISIL, Syria's al-Qaeda branch known as the Nusra Front, or any other militia designated as a terrorist group by the UN Security Council.
Citing diplomatic sources, private broadcaster CNN Türk reported on Thursday that two C-130 military cargo planes, carrying approximately 30 Saudi Air Force personnel and military equipment had already arrived at İncirlik on Tuesday to prepare for the deployment of fighter jets. It said four F-15s were due to be deployed at the base.
With the arrival of the Saudi jets, there are now five foreign countries with aircraft at İncirlik for military missions in Syria. It also marks the first time Saudi warplanes have been deployed at a Turkish base for military operations.
string(1569) "[{"id":"1792416","sort":"3501259","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/02/23/alalam_635918512474014116_25f_4x3.mp4","title":"VIDEO: Yemeni Army, Popular Forces Pound Heavily Saudi Forces in Ta’iz"} ,{"id":"1792665","sort":"3501260","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/02/24/alalam_635919233089204782_25f_4x3.mp4","title":"VIDEO: Yemeni Army, Popular Forces Destroy Saudi Military Positions in Ma’rib"} ,{"id":"1792683","sort":"3501261","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/02/24/alalam_635919271898315446_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Saudi Arabia King Salman Hails US-Russia Truce Implementation in Syria"} ,{"id":"1792784","sort":"3501262","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/02/24/alalam_635919454817059730_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"If Turkey, Saudi Arabia Send Troops to Syria, Who Benefits from Invasion?"} ,{"id":"1792898","sort":"3501263","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/02/25/alalam_635920164856471423_25f_4x3.mp4","title":"Yemeni Ballistic Missile Attack Killed 50 Saudi Troops in Jawf Province + VIDEO"} ,{"id":"1793094","sort":"3501264","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/02/25/alalam_635920317546861391_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Tens of Saudi Arabia Forces in Turkey for Airstrikes in Syria"} ,{"id":"1793307","sort":"3501265","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/02/26/alalam_635920916451651009_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Lebanese PM Calls on National Unity amid Saudi Arabia Pressure"} ,{"id":"1793350","sort":"3501266","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/02/26/alalam_635921006998274831_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Much Easier to Crush ISIS without Turkey, Saudi Support: Syrian Official"} ]"