Turkey detains 'coup plotters' at base used by US: reports

Istanbul, Jul 17: Turkish authorities have reportedly detained a senior air force general and other officers accused of backing the failed coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a key air base used by US forces for raids in Syria.

Brigadier air force general Bekir Ercan Van was detained along with over a dozen lower ranking officers yesterday at the air force base of Incirlik in Turkey's southern Adana province, newspapers including the Hurriyet daily said. [Turkey Coup Updates]

They were now being interrogated by investigators, the reports added. A Turkish official told AFP yesterday that Ankara suspected Incirlik was used to refuel military aircraft "hijacked" by the coup plotters on Friday night.

The base has become a key hub for US forces after Turkey last year agreed to allow the United States to use Incirlik to carry out lethal raids against jihadists in Syria. But the Turkish authorities imposed a security lockdown on the base in the wake of the coup, allowing no movement in or out, the US consulate in Adana said.

Meanwhile, operations from the Incirlik air base were suspended because of the closure of the airspace used for the missions, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.

AFP