Turkey shuts off power to Incirlik Air Base, air operations still continue against ISIS

As Turkey recovers from the attempted coup last week, the US is now resuming anti-ISIS airstrikes out of the country, following a shutting down of the airspace- and the electricity.

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook confirmed in a statement that the power at Incirlik Airbase in southern Turkey, according to Fox News.

“U.S. facilities at Incirlik are still operating on internal power sources, but we hope to restore commercial power soon, Cook said. Base operations have not been affected.”

The alliance between the US and Turkey shows considerable strain following the failed coup, which left 265 people dead and thousands wounded.

Despite support of Turkish President Erdogan’s increasingly-authoritarian government by the Obama administration, Turkey’s labor minister is suggesting the US is behind the uprising.

Meanwhile, Erdogan is demanding extradition of cleric Fethullah Gulen, who resides in Pennsylvania and is the person of interest that Erdogan places blame on for inciting the coup.

Secretary of State John Kerry insists that the US had no indication of the coup attempt beforehand and that he and Russia’s foreign minister were locked in Syrian-related negotiations in Moscow at the time.

“If you’re planning a coup, you don’t exactly advertise to your partners in NATO,” Kerry said. “So it surprised everyone. It does not appear to be a very brilliantly planned or executed event.”

Turkish authorities took Incirlik commander General Bekir Ercan Van into custody, according to US officials.

On Saturday, the US State Department issued a new warning, urging US citizens to “reconsider travel to Turkey at this time.”