Turkish FM: I didn't speak about Russian planes in Incirlik

Turkish FM: I didn't speak about Russian planes in Incirlik

A green light to the Russian military to enter Incirlik could resonate much more in the West than in Syria, as that base is used by NATO forces, with troops and planes from the United States, Germany and Great Britain already stationed there.

"We can work with anyone in the fight against the Islamic State terrorists. As you know, we have opened the door of the Incirlik base to anyone who wants to participate in an active fight against IS. Why not cooperate with Russia, too? The terrorists are our common enemy and everyone should fight against them. My colleague Sergei Lavrov and I have agreed on that," Cavusoglu told Turkey's TRT Haber broadcaster.

However, Reuters reported on Monday that Cavusoglu in comments broadcast live on television "denied such an interpretation of his words":

"We said that we could cooperate with Russia in the period ahead in the fight against Daesh (Islamic State)... I did not make any comment referring to Russian planes coming to the Incirlik Air Base."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, said there were not official talks with Turkey with the aim of allowing Russian aircraft to use the air base in question.

Cavusoglu previously stated, speaking after his meeting with Lavrov in Sochi, that Turkish and Russian presidents would meet "later this month, or in early August."

Cooperation in the fight against Islamic State would represent a new step in the ongoing "great reconciliation" between Russia and Turkey, which started with the apology of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the death of the pilot of a Russian plane Turkey shot down last year. Afterwards, Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered the lifting of sanctions his country had imposed against Turkey.

Soon there were several more signals indicating a sudden warming in relations between the two countries.

Also recently, Turkey and Germany have been at odds over a planned visit of a German delegation to Incirlik - something that Ankara would not approve "as it is not appropriate to make political visits to a military base."