Denmark to pull fighter jets out of İncirlik base in Turkey

COPENHAGEN

Demark announced on Dec. 2 that it would not extend a six-month mission for seven F-16 jets deployed at the İncirlik Air Base in the southern Turkish province of Adana, currently participating in the U.S.-led coalition’s fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The seven jets, four of them operational at any one time, were seeing combat and also were flying surveillance and reconnaissance missions over Syria.

Denmark has also provided the coalition with a C-130J transport aircraft and 400 military personnel, including 60 special forces troops. 

According to the Danish government, the transport aircraft will also be withdrawn from the operation.

“We have decided to withdraw the Danish fighter jets as planned,” newly-named Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said, according to The Local website.

“Instead of extending the mission we are sending an additional 20 to 21 troops,” Samuelsen added.

Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen also said the new troops would bring engineering and construction skills to the operation. 

“They will train Iraqi forces in, among other things, de-mining operations and will help our current contribution within training,” Frederiksen said in a statement.

Back in June, Denmark dispatched seven F-16 jets and 120 military personnel to Turkey. The jets had first begun bombing ISIL targets in August.