Ankara Ready to Provide Air Base in Incirlik to Russia

Ankara may permit Russia to use its Incirlik air base for operations against the Islamic State (ISIS, banned in Russia). This was stated by the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in an interview with the TV channel TRT.

"To combat ISIS Turkey is ready to cooperate with any country. As you know, the Incirlik Air Base is open to countries that intend to participate in an active struggle against the Islamic State, which is an enemy to all of us. As Sergei Lavrov mentioned, we reached agreement on this issue," Cavusoglu said.

He said that the meeting between leaders of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, may be held in late July - early August.

The Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers held a 40-minute meeting in Sochi last Friday. It took place against the backdrop of a sharp improvement in relations between the two countries, which occurred after the telephone conversation between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia has decided to lift the sanctions imposed against Turkey, including the ban on tourist travel.

Earlier, Financial Times, citing sources in the Syrian opposition leadership, wrote that Ankara will go to a number of concessions in respect of the Kurdish forces and the Bashar Assad regime in Syria, against the backdrop of easing the relations with Moscow. -02D-