WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. government has offered to help hundreds of family members of Americans stationed at Incirlik Air Base and a consulate in nearby Adana to leave Turkey as efforts escalate in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group.
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the move is not in response to a specific threat, rather due to the "elevated force protection level in Turkey." The decision follows the beginning of U.S. airstrike operations against IS -- also identified as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh -- last month out of Incirlik Air Base.