Incirlik Base Will Not Be Used in Fight against IS, Turkey Says

The Incirlik Airbase could only be used by the international coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) group if there is a "comprehensive process", a spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said.

Tanju Bilgic said on Wednesday the inclusion of the base in US-led operations was currently "out of the question".

In Ankara's view, a "lasting solution" is necessary in the case with IS that could be maintained only by a "political solution", as Hürriyet Daily News quotes Bilgic as saying.

Turkey has repeated several times that a more substantial support from the anti-IS coalition is tied to international action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It insists that "the reasons" which made IS emerge should be dealt with, apparently referring to Assad's government.

Ankara is facing the problem of a refugee influx still coming from its border with Syria, a country where the fourth anniversary of protests that sparked a civil war is nearing. Turkey is currently giving shelter to millions of migrants fleeing the conflict.

The Incirlik Airbase is located near Adana, a city in Southern Turkey, not quite far from the border with Syria. While many IS locations have been regained from IS by Iraqi forces (though with international assistance), the fight has so far resulted more difficult in Syria, partly due to the four-year unrest that has been rocking the country.