The Turkish Air Force carried out three strikes early on July 24 against ISIS elements inside Syria, and the government vowed it would continue striking the group along with US and coalition aircraft, according to a statement from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The three strikes, carried out by F-16s, killed an estimated 35 militants, destroyed two ISIS headquarters buildings and an “assembly point,” according to a statement issued from the Turkish Prime Minister’s office on Friday. Turkey and the US have decided to “further deepen their ongoing cooperation” in fighting ISIS, the Foreign Ministry’s statement reads, noting the government has granted clearance for the deployment of manned and unmanned aircraft from the US and other nations to participate in air operations against ISIS. “Elements of the Turkish Air Force will also be tasked with the same objective in these operations,” the statement adds. The goal of the expanded operation, in addition to ensuring Turkey’s security, is to bolster the safety of “inhabitants who now live in areas under [ISIS] control.”
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.