Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday ordered all military dependents to evacuate Turkey due to security concerns in the region.
The ordered departure affects Defense Department dependents in Ismir, Mugla and Adana, which includes Incirlik Air Base.
“This decision allows for the deliberate, safe return of family members from these areas due to continued security concerns in the region,” a blog post from U.S. European Command said. “This step does not signify a permanent decision to end accompanied tours at these facilities.”
There are about 770 dependents in Turkey. About 670 plus 287 pets are expected to evacuate, a U.S. European Command spokeswoman said. Those who remain have mission critical jobs.
The spokeswoman did not answer whether the evacuation was in response to last week’s attacks in Brussels.
Turkey opened Incirlik Air Base to U.S. operations against the Islamic State in July. Allowing U.S. strike aircraft to depart from the base significantly cut the travel time to targets, officials said at the time.
“The decision to move our families and civilians was made in consultation with the Government of Turkey, our State Department, and our secretary of defense,” said Gen. Philip Breedlove, the commander of European Command. “We understand this is disruptive to our military families, but we must keep them safe and ensure the combat effectiveness of our forces to support our strong ally Turkey in the fight against terrorism.”
This month, the school at Incirlik was closed due to force-protection concerns, according to reports.
