U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his wife, Stephanie, meet with coalition troops on Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Dec. 15, 2015. The secretary spoke about the push to accelerate the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. Carter is on a weeklong trip to the Middle East. DoD photo
Washington Post: Defense secretary prods allies to increase efforts against Islamic State
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey — Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter on Tuesday visited a Turkish air base near the Syrian border that has become a hub for operations against the Islamic State, as the Obama administration presses Turkey and other allied nations to step up their military response to the extremist group.
Carter touched down at Incirlik, located in southern Turkey about 100 miles from the Syrian border, at the beginning of a Middle Eastern tour that will give him a chance to assess the evolving U.S. campaign against the militant group, which remains dug in across large tracts of Syria and Iraq despite 16 months of U.S. and allied airstrikes.
“We’re looking to intensify and accelerate the defeat of ISIL,” Carter told reporters from the base’s sprawling tarmac. The Islamic State, a radical al-Qaeda offshoot, is also known as ISIS and ISIL.
More News On U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's Visit To The Middle East
Carter Calls for More Global Cooperation to Defeat ISIL -- US Department of Defense
Carter Visits Troops, Coalition Partners in Middle East -- US Department of Defense
US Defense Chief, Ashton Carter, Seeks More Allied Help in ISIS Fight -- NYT
Carter Seeks New Ways to Fight ISIL in Turkey Visit -- Defense News
U.S. defense chief seeks more Turkish help against Islamic State -- Reuters
U.S. presses Turkey to do more in coalition's fight against Islamic State -- L.A. Times
Defense chief in Turkey looking for ISIS advice -- CBS/AP
‘We want them to do more’ – US defense secretary asks Turkey to seal Syria border -- RT
U.S. footprint expands at Turkey's Incirlik Air Base -- Army Times
Carter's Trip Aims to Strengthen Fight Against Islamic State -- AP