Turkey Has Not Reached New Deal to Let US Use Base: Officials

Ankara : Turkey has not reached a new agreement to let the United States use its Incirlik air base in the fight against Islamic State militants, and talks are continuing on the subject, Turkish officials said on Monday.

Turkey had reached an agreement with Washington on the training of Syrian rebels, sources from the Turkish prime minister's office told reporters, without saying who would train the insurgents or where.
The comments come after U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice said Turkey had agreed to let forces from a U.S.-led military coalition use its bases for activities inside Iraq and Syria and to train moderate Syrian rebels.

"There is not an agreement, no decision has been taken with regards to using Incirlik air base," Tanju Bilgic, spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, told reporters at the United Nations in New York.

He said the possible use of Incirlik air base was still "on the agenda" and suggested that Turkey had agreed to allow other facilities to be used to help train and equip Syrian rebels.

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"Many issues are pending and many issues are being discussed between the United States and Turkey, this includes the creation of a safe zone and creation of a no-fly zone as well," he said.