U.S. carries out first airstrike on ISIS from Turkish military base

U.S. conducted first airstrike on ISIS from Turkish base on Tuesday — (Image credit: Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images)

In July, Turkey agreed to allow U.S. fighter jets and armed drones to attack Islamic State in nearby Syria and Iraq from Incirlik Air Base. On Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said that the U.S. had carried out its first airstrike from the base in Southern Turkey, though he declined to provide details of Tuesday's drone strike. U.S. fighter jets haven't arrived yet at Incirlik, but are expected in coming weeks. The U.S. has been flying armed drones from the base since last weekend, and unarmed surveillance drones before that.

The U.S. will use the base for attacks on ISIS and to support local groups fighting ISIS, especially in the area along a porous, strategically important 70-mile stretch of Turkey's border with Syria.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.