No U.S. troops in Turkey: Turkish army

ISTANBUL

There are no U.S. troops stationed on Turkish soil with an eye to managing the Syrian issue, the Turkish General Staff announced earlier today, according to daily Hürriyet. 
 
"Some Turkish media claim U.S. troops have been sent to Turkey because of the ongoing events along Turkey's Syrian border. This is not true. There are no U.S. soldiers other than those who work in several cities of Turkey according to the Turkish-American defense and economic cooperation agreement [SEİA]," the General Staff said in its statement. 
 
The matter became an issue of recent debate after some top U.S. commanders recently indicated that Washington had sent military personnel to Turkey to assist on a variety of issues, ranging from Syria to outlawed militants. 
 
Both Turkish and U.S. authorities said these suggestions, together with claims by the Turkish media, should not be taken to mean that U.S. troops have been deployed in Turkey.