Kommandanten for den viktige Incirlik-basen i det østlige Tyrkiet blev arresteret søndag, anklaget for delagtighed i kupforsøget.

Han blev erstattet og udenrigsminister John Kerry sier tingene er tilbage ved det normale. Flyene kan igen flyve på togt for at bombee IS. Men ser man ting i sammenhæng er de slet ikke normale. Erdogan og hans mænd har allerede antydet amerikansk delagtighed i kupforsøget. Arrestationen av kommandanten gør det let at påstå at amerikanerne var involveret. Erdogan kan piske opp en sjåvinistisk stemning hvor “folket” krever basen stengt.

Turkish officials arrested the commander of the Incirlik Air Base, which the U.S. uses to carry out airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria, for complicity in Friday’s coup attempt, U.S. and Turkish officials said Sunday.

A senior Turkish official said Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, the base commander, as well as 11 other service members from the base and a police officer, were placed under arrest.

The arrests came after Turkish F-16s operated by plotters involved in the coup attempt to refuel from two airborne tankers operating out of the Turkish portion of the air base.

It isn’t clear how the arrests could affect the base. One U.S. official said Turkey moved to put another officer in charge quickly.

Speaking on CNN, Secretary of State John Kerry said U.S. operations against Islamic State won’t be interrupted because of the events in Turkey. He said the U.S. military experienced some minor difficulties, apparently because “there may have been some refueling that took place with the Turkish Air Force with planes that were flying in the coup itself.”

Det kan se ud til at Erdogan lægger op til et spil der han kan bestemme når han vil stramme snaren rundt byttet. USA virker opsat på at ting er ved det normale, men det er de åpenbart ikke.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/turkey-arrests-incirlik-air-base-commander-1468760920