The U.S. government has approved a plan to return Defense Department dependents back home from Turkey in response to security concerns in the region, DoD News reported Tuesday.
Lisa Ferdinando writes Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and State Secretary John Kerry authorized the departure for all DoD dependents in Incirlik Air Base and the Izmir, Adana and Mugla provinces.
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the order applies to 670 out of 770 DoD dependents in Turkey, whose sponsors operate under the commander of U.S. European Command, according to the report.
The goal is to reduce the risk facing DoD elements and personnel and maintain the combat effectiveness of U.S. forces in the country, the report says.