Obama condemns pair of deadly attacks in Turkey

The U.S. has been seeking permission for months for the U.S.-led coalition to use Incirlik as a launching pad.

Prior U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State have originated from aircraft carriers in the Gulf.

American officials said access to the base in southern Turkey would allow the U.S.to move more swiftly and nimbly to attack IS targets.

Tensions between the two have increased markedly over the past few days after IS militants fired at a Turkish military position on Thursday, killing a soldier.

President Barack Obama spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday night in a conversation the White House said focused on Turkey’s border security. Half of the 40,000 military personnel who guard Turkey’s borders – including with Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Greece and Bulgaria – are now on the Syrian frontier.

The bombing is a strong tactical shift for Turkey which had long been reluctant to join the U.S.-led coalition against the extremist group. To Turkey’s dismay, Obama has prioritized fighting IS over opposing Assad in Syria’s civil war.

Turkey is erecting a modular wall along part of its border with Syria as well as reinforcing wire fencing and digging extra ditches after a suspected Islamic State suicide bombing killed 32 mostly young students in a border town this week. Reports said police raided addresses in several Istanbul districts in search of members of IS, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and other militant groups. Turkish troops retaliated to the attack and at least one IS militant was killed.

The agreement to deepen cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey was a promising sign for two countries whose relations have grown strained in recent years.

Obama and Erdoğan also discussed stemming the flow of foreign fighters and securing Turkey’s border with Syria during their call, and Obama “reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to Turkey’s national security” as the leaders vowed to continue their close cooperation. In the last six months, Turkish officials say, more than 500 people suspected of working with IS have been detained.