Turkey reluctant to allow US use its airbase against IS

Turkey is not eager to allow a US-led coalition to use its Incirlik Air Base to launch attacks on militants of the Islamic State (IS) Sunni extremist group in neighbouring Syria and Iraq, media reported Thursday.

Ankara will not allow its air bases for operational use other than logistics, Xinhua reported citing Turkish daily Radikal.

The reported reluctance came one day after US President Barack Obama's announcement of airstrikes against IS positions in Syria.

As part of the struggle against the IS, the Incirlik Air Base and Turkish air space have been already used for the transfer of non-lethal material to Iraqi Army and Kurdistan Regional Government forces, Radikal quoted Turkish sources saying on condition of anonymity.

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel visited Ankara Monday and discussed the issue with Turkish officials.

The Incirlik Air Base, in Turkey's southern Adana province, maintains cooperation with NATO. It is listed by the US Air Force as being among its top "Main Operating Bases".

After Obama publicly named Turkey as part of the coalition against the IS, Turkey has opened up the base, not for operational use, but logistics only, Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News reported Tuesday.

The US has not been using Incirlik Air Base for its military attacks against IS targets, John L. Espinoza, the US consul general to Adana in southern Turkey, told reporters Thursday, private Dogan news agency reported.

In a related development, US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to visit Turkey Friday as part of his efforts to gather military, political and financial support in fighting the IS group, according to media reports.