On Sunday, thousands of anti-Israel protesters stormed the Incirlik Air Base that houses U.S. troops in Turkey, ahead of the arrival of Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Ankara to talk about the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. The base has been used by the U.S. Air Force for years and helps to provide the U.S. strategic access in the area.
Fox’s Lucas Tomlinson noted that nuclear bombs have been stored at the base in the past. Some reports said about 50, but it’s not clear how many are there now.
U.S. Air Force keeps dozens of B61 nuclear bombs at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. https://t.co/o4eL0O1ZGg
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) November 5, 2023
That could create a mighty big hole if things were to go wrong and those weapons were still there in such a volatile situation with a leader like President Recep Erdogan.
The rioters waved Palestinian flags and shouted “Allahu Akbar,” they also threw things like chairs at the police. But the police were able to keep them back by shooting tear gas at them and repelling them with water cannons as they ran away across an open field.
A pro-Palestinian rally tried to storm an air base housing US troops in Turkey hours before Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Ankara https://t.co/P4vSozIYWG pic.twitter.com/xjq5gi4VIY
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 5, 2023
It looks like there was even an old lady in a wheelchair in the melee. You can see all these folks got hit with a dose of tear gas.
Adana'da İncirlik Üssü'ne girmeye çalışan bir gruba polis müdahale etti. pic.twitter.com/tjrUzLI6av
— TRHaber (@trhaber_com) November 5, 2023
The action at the Air Base was organized by the Turkish aid group IHH, which Israel has linked to Hamas in the past.
In Turkey, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters at a pro-Palestinian rally outside the Incirlik air base that houses American troops. US Secretary of State Blinken is due in Ankara for talks on Gaza. pic.twitter.com/WygTEYfa8t
— DW News (@dwnews) November 5, 2023
The crowd was protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza and angry about the arrival of Blinken in the country.
U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has just arrived in Ankara, Turkey after Departing from Iraq earlier tonight on his ongoing Tour around the Middle East; while in Turkey he will meet with several Turkish Officials including Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan regarding the War… pic.twitter.com/exJN9cTmMp
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 5, 2023
Blinken had warned Iran and others against threatening U.S. personnel in the region during his stop in Iraq before Turkey.
NOW – Blinken sends message from Iraq: "Don't do it."pic.twitter.com/p5vaJzlYjL
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) November 5, 2023
It looks like the crowd in Incirlik didn’t get the message from Blinken. “Don’t do it” isn’t exactly a very threatening message. Biden has issued it as well, and it sounds so incredibly weak, especially given they don’t respond on our behalf when we’re attacked. But that isn’t stopping such actions, nor is it keeping Erdogan from stirring up the people against Israel and the U.S., blasting Israel as an “occupier” and lashing out at the U.S. for supporting them.
Biden needs to get his act together before things get way out of control, but I wouldn’t count on it.
