Ankara categorically denies US special forces’ presence in Turkey
ANKARA
AFP photo
Turkish Foreign Ministry officials have categorically denied media
reports suggesting that Washington has special forces stationed close to the
Syrian border in Turkey.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, sources
denied the claim of British daily The Times that American and French special
forces have been at İncirlik airbase in southern Turkey for weeks.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed on Oct. 10 that a team of
U.S. military planners was in Jordan to help the government grapple with Syrian
refugees, bolster its military capabilities and prepare for any trouble with
its chemical weapons stockpiles.
"We have been working with Jordan for a period of time now ... on a
number of the issues that have developed as a result of what's happened in
Syria," Reuters quoted Panetta as saying in Brussels.
Panetta said those issues included monitoring chemical weapons sites
"to determine how best to respond to any concerns in that area."
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the small team
of planners were not engaged in covert operations and have been housed at the
King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, north of the capital of
Amman, since the early summer.
